In the three years since his Fulbright Teacher Exchange, Zambian educator Edward Mboyonga has conducted research on how women from his country are portrayed in history textbooks. He published his findings in an article titled “Silenced and Invisible Historical Figures in Zambia: An Analysis of the Visual Portrayal of Woman in Senior Secondary School History Textbook”, which appeared in the December 2021 issue of the Yesterday & Today Journal for History Education in South Africa and Abroad.
Through his study, Edward notes that although women have made significant contributions to Zambia’s history, their influence is commonly underestimated and ignored in historical literature compared to their male counterparts. He recommends mainstreaming gender equality in the history curriculum by using learning materials that reflect women’s achievements. Edward credits his Fulbright experience, specifically the engaging and thought-provoking history course, for sparking his interest to question the representation of women in the Zambian curriculum.
Edward Mboyonga is an alum of the 2019 Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program, hosted at Claremont Graduate University.