Learning about teaching: a collaborative research exploration of learner-centered pedagogy in Tanzania

Abstract

The revision of the national curriculum in Tanzania in 2005 marked a significant policy shift from lecture-based instruction emphasizing rote memorization to learner-centered pedagogy (LCP) encouraging the development of critical thinking. This shift posed substantial challenges to teachers and students at various levels-including primary schools, secondary schools, and higher education institutions-because most teachers and students had never experienced this pedagogical approach in a school. In response to this policy change, a burgeoning higher education institution (HEI), Mwenge Catholic University (MWECAU), launched a professional development workshop for secondary school teachers that focused on methods for introducing LCP into secondary schools. This week-long workshop occurred each year between 2007-2009 and was co-facilitated by faculty from MWECAU and institutions in the United States. However, little was known about its impact on the pedagogical practices of secondary school teachers when they returned to their schools after the workshop