Continuous Teacher Learning Circles in Learner-Centered Pedagogy: A Case Study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Resource type
Journal Article
Author/contributor
Title
Continuous Teacher Learning Circles in Learner-Centered Pedagogy: A Case Study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Abstract
This dissertation explores how continuous teacher learning circles (TLCs) support the implementation of a learner-centered pedagogy in grades 5-10 at a school in a long-term refugee community located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Learner-centered pedagogy has gained notice as a means to improve educational outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa (Vavrus & Bartlett, 2012). Learner-centered pedagogy may be defined as education rooted in the interests of students, their prior knowledge, and pedagogy based on student inquiry with the goal of solving real-world problems (Dewey, 1916). TLCs are increasingly used by international educational development organizations, including in the DRC (Frisoli, 2014; Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies, 2015). Focusing on sustained teacher and student learning, one U.S. non-profit has worked since 2011 to co-create learner-centered modules based on locally identified assets and problems. This qualitative case study seeks to illuminate how teacher learning and well-being are supported through the TLCs and what teachers and staff understand about learner-centered pedagogy as a teaching and learning paradigm in the context. Drawing from Kanu's (2005) precept that pedagogical ideas crossing borders are continually reinterpreted and reinvented, this study takes a closer look at how indigenous practices may influence or mediate teacher learning. By using Lave and Wenger’s (1991) concept of communities of practice as the principal theoretical framework, the study relied on data from onsite individual interviews, focus groups, classroom observations, and TLC observations as well as archival documents such as lesson plans, teacher reflections, and transcripts of cross-cultural Skype conversations between Congolese and American staff. Findings suggest that the TLCs viii help teachers gain confidence in learner-centered teaching tools that support safe, inclusive, and engaging classrooms while offering a supportive space to voice problems and receive feedback from peers as they engage in planning and implementing the innovative curriculum. Findings also highlight the need for increased teacher autonomy in lesson planning. Implications of these findings encourage future research to determine whether it is feasible for learner-centered pedagogy and TLCs to be operationalized and sustained over time in other similar settings.
Date
2020
Language
en
Short Title
Continuous Teacher Learning Circles in Learner-Centered Pedagogy
Accessed
11/02/2021, 12:31
Citation
Lund, J. A. (2020). Continuous Teacher Learning Circles in Learner-Centered Pedagogy: A Case Study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. https://search.proquest.com/openview/a953e7f330384e6531912f3dc927f71d/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y