This paper presents an analysis of the quality of teacher education at the University of Zambia by combining the findings of two PhD theses conducted at the University of Zambia and in secondary schools in the last two years. Using self-administered questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 191 and 200 participants respectively, comprising of students, newly qualified teachers (NQTs), heads of department (HoDs), deans, and lecturers. The findings in the two studies indicate that there are a number of institutional weaknesses in the provision of teacher education at the University of Zambia. Prominent among these weaknesses is the inadequacy of teaching practice experiences for student teachers and the mismatch between subject content offered at the University of Zambia and content taught at the secondary school level. The paper concludes that this combination of poor teacher preparation affects teacher quality, which in turn affects educational delivery by the teachers.

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Using qualitative data from a mixed methods study, this paper analyses the experiences of newly qualified teachers in an environment devoid of new teacher support. The findings show that newly qualified teachers in Zambia are not offered support. Usually inadequately trained, they often work in unfriendly environments. While induction and orientation are provided, meaningful support is usually limited. This article has established that schools are failing to provide conducive environments for newly qualified teachers to flourish. Based on the findings of the study, the paper proposes the enhancement of support programmes such as mentorship. It is recommended that newly qualified teachers who have failed to meet expected standards should be provided with academic support to help them achieve competency even as they learn to teach. At the school level authorities should help the new teachers build a sense of commitment to a school and to the profession. Failure to do so has huge implications for the quality of education provided.