Civic Educators' Comprehension of Citizenship and Its Influence on Civic Engagement in Selected Universities and Secondary Schools in Zambia

This study established the Civic Educators' comprehension of citizenship and its influence on civic engagement in selected universities and secondary schools in Zambia. Using a qualitative research approach and descriptive research design. The target population were lecturers and students at University of Zambia, Kwame Nkrumah University and Chalimbana University. The sample size was 30 participants. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse data because themes were strongly linked to data. The findings revealed that lecturers had a comprehensive conception of citizenship. They defined citizenship to comprise rights and duties. This aligns with the definition of citizenship as practice and the communitarian theory of citizenship, that takes into consideration both rights and duties as important aspects of citizenship. The teachers and student teachers conceptualised citizenship in terms of belonging and qualification. This conception emphasized rights over duties as per the liberalist theory of citizenship. The study argued that the participants’ comprehension of citizenship influenced their conception of civic engagement in universities and selected secondary schools in Zambia. The findings of the study recommended the need for enhanced Civic education training and curriculum development to foster meaningful civic engagement and understanding of the concept of citizenship. The study also recommended professional development programmes and relevant curriculum reforms.