Prof. Tamara Chansa-Kabali

Portrait of Prof. Tamara Chansa-Kabali
Prof. Tamara Chansa-Kabali
Associate Professor
Researcher
Psychology
Email
tamara.kabali@unza.ac.zm

An Associate Professor of Applied Developmental Psychology at the University of Zambia (UNZA) in the Department of Psychology and Behavioural Science. Her work integrates academic scholarship, research, clinical practice, and community engagement, with a commitment to improving developmental outcomes, participation, and quality of life for children and families, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Her work is grounded in extensive engagement with children, families, schools, and communities, enabling her to translate research evidence into practical and culturally responsive approaches. Her scholarship has examined how nurturing care and accessible developmental supports can strengthen children’s development, independence, and meaningful participation. Disability inclusion is central to her academic and professional work. She conducts comprehensive developmental assessments and contributes to individualised support planning for children with autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental differences. Her work promotes meaningful participation of children within their homes, schools, and wider communities. She collaborates with government institutions, international and non-governmental organisations, schools, communities, and other stakeholders to strengthen sustainable programmes and policies. Her scholarly contributions address inclusive education, caregiving, disability inclusion, healthcare access, community participation, nurturing care, and child development in Zambia, bridging research, policy, practice, and community-based action. She is a founding member of the Psychology Association of Zambia, where she served in the capacity of Vice President. She is a member of the Special Olympics Global Center for Inclusion in Education Research Collaborative, the Jean Piaget Society, and the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development, among other professional bodies.

Caudell, MA, Dorado-Garcia, A, Eckford, S, Creese, C, & ... (2020). Towards a bottom-up understanding of antimicrobial use and resistance on the farm: A knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey across livestock systems in …. PloS one, journals.plos.org, https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0220274

Scherer, N, Banda-Chalwe, M, Chansa-Kabali, T, & ... (2024). Disability research in Zambia: a scoping review. Scandinavian Journal of …, sjdr.se, https://doi.org/10.16993/sjdr.1095

Jere-Folotiya, J, Chansa-Kabali, T, & ... (2014). The effect of using a mobile literacy game to improve literacy levels of grade one students in Zambian schools. Educational Technology …, Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-014-9342-9

Ojanen, E, Ronimus, M, Ahonen, T, & ... (2015). GraphoGame–a catalyst for multi-level promotion of literacy in diverse contexts. Frontiers in …, frontiersin.org, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00671

Chansa-Kabali, T, Banda-Chalwe, M, & Lupenga, J (2025). Centering caregiver voices on caregiving needs of children with neurodevelopmental disorders in low-resource settings. Plos one, journals.plos.org, https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0335402

Chansa-Kabali, T (2017). Home literacy activities: Accounting for differences in early grade literacy outcomes in low-income families in Zambia. South African Journal of Childhood Education, scielo.org.za, https://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?pid=S2223-76822017000100015&script=sci_arttext

Chansa-Kabali, T, Nyoni, J, & Mwanza, H (2019). Awareness and knowledge associated with autism spectrum disorders among university students in Zambia. Journal of Autism and …, Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04044-7

Serpell, R, Mumba, P, & ... (2011). Early educational foundations for the development of civic responsibility: An African experience. New Directions for Child …, Wiley Online Library, https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.312

Chansa-Kabali, T, Serpell, R, & ... (2014). Contextual analysis of home environment factors influencing the acquisition of early reading skills in Zambian families. Journal of Psychology in …, Taylor &Francis, https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2014.997008

Chansa-Kabali, T, & Westerholm, J (2014). The role of family on pathways to acquiring early reading skills in Lusaka's low-income communities. … Journal on Humans in ICT Environments, jyx.jyu.fi, https://jyx.jyu.fi/bitstreams/1ae028f8-b68e-45ee-aded-e16e5df26781/download

Chansa-Kabali, T (2015). The acquistion of early reading skills: The influence of the Home Environment in Lusaka, Zambia., dspace.unza.zm, https://dspace.unza.zm/handle/123456789/3773

Scherer, N, Chabaputa, R, Chansa-Kabali, T, & ... (2025). Community inclusion, participation and support for people with disabilities in Zambia: a qualitative study. Disability and health …, Elsevier, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1936657425000676

Scherer, N, Chabaputa, R, Chansa-Kabali, T, & ... (2025). Access to healthcare for people with disabilities in Zambia: a qualitative study. PLOS global public …, journals.plos.org, https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0004145

Chansa-Kabali, T (2023). An overview of home and parental factors associated with child nurturing care, stimulatory behaviors, and child outcomes in rural communities in Zambia. Journal of Early Childhood Research, journals.sagepub.com, https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X221125584

Sibulwa, S, Chansa-Kabali, T, & ... (2019). “Every part of me has changed”—shared lived experiences of adolescents living with cancer in Zambia. Health Psychology …, journals.sagepub.com, https://doi.org/10.1177/2055102919833537

Chansa‐Kabali, T, & Nyoni, J (2024). Exploring a school‐level inclusive practice index for meaningful inclusion in Zambian schools. British Journal of Special Education, Wiley Online Library, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.12489

Matafwali, B, & Chansa-Kabali, T (2017). Towards sustainable access to early childhood development in Zambia: Re-envisioning the role of community based early childhood programs in promoting …. Creative Education, academia.edu, https://www.academia.edu/download/94162956/CE_2017052516383242.pdf

Chansa-Kabali, T, & Nyoni, J (2026). Stakeholder perspectives on advancing sustainable inclusive education in resource-constrained Zambian schools. International Journal of Inclusive …, Taylor &Francis, https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2026.2643705

Mfune, O, Kunda-Wamuwi, CF, Chansa-Kabali, T, & ... (2020). The legacy of mine closure in Kabwe, Zambia: what can resilience thinking offer to the mining sustainability discourse?. … Challenges in Sub …, Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5358-5_7

Menon, AJ, Jere-Folotiya, J, & ... (2013). Dimensions of international research collaboration in developing Africa's higher education-lessons from the University of Zambia. … Educational Quality in …, nchr.elsevierpure.com, https://nchr.elsevierpure.com/en/publications/dimensions-of-international-research-collaboration-in-developing-/

Mfune, O, Kunda-Wamuwi, CF, & ... (2018). Post mining recovery and rural-urban linkages: lessons from Zambia's oldest mining town. … -Urban Linkages and …, researchgate.net, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gerald-Yiran/publication/330738738_Urbanisation_and_Smallholder_Livelihood_Security_in_Africa_A_Case_Study_of_Coping_Strategies_of_Peri-urban_Dwellers_in_Tamale/links/5c51c31fa6fdccd6b5d4def9/Urbanisation-and-Smallholder-Livelihood-Security-in-Africa-A-Case-Study-of-Coping-Strategies-of-Peri-urban-Dwellers-in-Tamale.pdf#page=191

Serpell, R, Jere-Folotiya, J, Chansa-Kabali, T, & ... (2017). A Culturally Sensitive Approach to Promoting Initial Literacy Development in Africa: Ongoing and Planned Research and Development at the University of Zambia's …. Handbook of Applied …, Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7328-6_17

Muchanga, M, Membele, G, Nakazwe, MK, & ... (2026). Teachers and Teacher Educators' Readiness for Integrating AI in the Teaching of Climate Change Education. … for Climate Action …, igi-global.com, https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/teachers-and-teacher-educators-readiness-for-integrating-ai-in-the-teaching-of-climate-change-education/410488

Chansa-Kabali, T (2018). Monitoring and Evaluation Data Analysis: Quantitative and Qualitative. … and Evaluation for Projects, Programmes or …, researchgate.net, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Given-Hapunda/publication/325961684_Participatory_Monitoring_and_Evaluation_for_Projects_Programmes_or_Policies/links/5fa25d87458515b7cfba5ebf/Participatory-Monitoring-and-Evaluation-for-Projects-Programmes-or-Policies.pdf#page=151

Chansa-Kabali, T (2016). Parental Involvement in Early Schooling: Exploring Parent and Teacher Views in a Low-income African Context. British Journal of Education, Society and …, researchgate.net, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tamara-Chansa-Kabali/publication/297752453_Parental_Involvement_in_Early_Schooling_Exploring_Parent_and_Teacher_Views_in_a_Low-income_African_Context/links/577289f808ae2b93e1a7c59e/Parental-Involvement-in-Early-Schooling-Exploring-Parent-and-Teacher-Views-in-a-Low-income-African-Context.pdf

Matafwali, B, Chansa-Kabali, T, & Kalima, K The Home Literacy Environment in an African Context. dev.taleafrica.com, https://dev.taleafrica.com/addread/the-home-literacy-environment-in-an-african-context/

CHANSA-KABALI, T (2009). School of Humanities and Social Sciences Department of Psychology., lollenautafoundation.eu, https://lollenautafoundation.eu/uploads/tamara-chansa-ma-proposal-lnf.pdf

Chansa-Kabali, T, Mfune, O, Chibuye, FKW, & ... (2020). Lessons from the Rural-Urban Interface: Community Stress and Well-being of Residents in a Former Mining Township in Zambia. RURAL-URBAN …, books.google.com, https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=4sXjDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA41&dq=%22tamara+chansa+kabali%22&ots=ERb6Ax6jII&sig=1Hm2BZEmEdat78dw4g6oXFWTnPE

Hapunda, G, & Chansa-Kabali, T Peer Reviewed Articles. Celebrating Our Past and Engaging Our Future: A …, div52.net, https://div52.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ipb_2017-21-3-summer.pdf#page=19

Savage, RS, Karemaker, AM, Ojanen, E, Center, A, & ... Edited by: Nicola Pitchford, University of Nottingham, UK Reviewed by. helda.helsinki.fi, https://helda.helsinki.fi/server/api/core/bitstreams/155b792c-ae3d-4824-b80b-280ff609e5c9/content

Kusanthan, T, & Chansa-Kabali, T (2017). Contextual Factors Associated with Domestic Violence among Currently Married Women in Zambia: Findings from Zambia Demographic Health Survey. Archives of Current Research …, hal.science, https://hal.science/hal-05421222/

Kusanthan, T, & Kabali, TC (2018). Women's Attitudes towards Wife-beating among Currently Married Women in Zambia. Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, hal.science, https://hal.science/hal-05363968/

CHANSA-KABALI, T THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY …. dspace.unza.zm, https://dspace.unza.zm/bitstreams/ea558e46-5ac4-4d3e-acbe-0bee4025a1df/download

Chansa-Kabali, T (2014). The acquisition of early reading skills: The influence of home environment., … of Jyväskylä. https://jyx. jyu. fi/handle …

Agirdag, O, Aguaded-Gomez, I, Aiston, S, Akcayir, M, & ... (2020). List of reviewers for Educational Review 2019., openurl.ebsco.com, https://openurl.ebsco.com/contentitem/gcd:141913940?sid=ebsco:plink:crawler-gcd&id=ebsco:gcd:141913940&crl=c&jrnl=00131911

  • Early childhood development
  • Community-based inclusive development
  • Inclusive education
  • Family functioning
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Disability
  • Life-long learning
  • Community mental-health promotion
  • 2023 - date: Facility for Action for Climate Empowerment to achieve the National Determined Contributions (FACE-NDC). Funder: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
  • 2022-2025: Technical consultant for medical and rehabilitation services and home-based care for children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Funder: Cheshire Homes Society of Zambia.
  • 2023: Principal investigator: Baseline study survey on the inclusion of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities in Zambia. Funder: Christian Blind Missions.
  • 2018-2022: Principal Investigator: Inclusive practice index for schools. Funder: Global TIES for Children, New York.
  • 2018-2023: Next Generation Researcher: Promotion of knowledge exchange, creation, and sharing between Asia and Africa in support of Africa’s sustainable development.Funder: Education for Sustainable Development in Africa (ESDA).
  • 2018-2020: Principal investigator. Funder: African Early Childhood Network
  • 2011-2015: Reading Support for Zambia Children. Funder: Fininsh Government.