Abstract
This study traces the methods of indigenous pedagogy alongside the development of formal education in Kenya. By showing indigenous education was successfully training generations of youth to assume their roles in society through active, participatory methods, the authors establish that the 21st century learner-centred teaching approaches are not a new concept introduced by Western pedagogues. Instead, they have roots in indigenous practices which were squeezed out by Western colonialism. To give context for understanding the current problems in Kenyan education, this chapter surveys the literature of Kenyan educational development. Then, the authors present a qualitative research study of the effectiveness of an in-service professional development model focusing on teachers in three counties in Kenya. This study established that open educational resources could be used in quality professional development to support teachers to adopt learner-centred pedagogy that reflects the indigenous African learning practices and addresses the dynamic 21st century learning needs.
TopBackground
Understanding the history of Kenya’s education helps in understanding how the present state of education came about and empathize. Then, one can plan for the future with greater awareness and cognizance, thereby avoiding the pitfalls of the past. This does not mean justifying the current status or holistically blaming outside forces, but rather empathetically elucidating the progression and causes which may help in charting the way forward with confidence and greater clarity. Kenyan education can be traced through successive changes from indigenous education to Christian missionaries’ education, to formal Western education, and finally, post-colonial, independent education. By analyzing the historical development, we can better explain the current status of education and chart a stronger way forward. The goal for Kenya is to build a better teaching and learning environment for its citizens for the 21st century.
Further understanding is promoted through a multiple perspectives approach uncovering the experiences from both a Western and a Kenyan lens. Any story has multiple sides, and this chapter attempts to reveal the complexity of the experiences of education in Kenya not easily conceptualized in a singular lens. In this study, the indicator of effective teaching is the children learning and achieving the anticipated learning outcomes as indicated by test scores and finally their employability.
Statement of the Problem and Research Questions
The setback of school curriculum, teaching and learning in Kenya’s education today could be best understood by critically analyzing different historical phases of education in the country and their relevant teaching approaches. The pedagogical methods employed reflect the purpose of education for each phase. By examining the historical state of education in Kenya, a more viable solution or way forward can be proposed: continuing school based teacher professional development which returns teachers to the roots of active teaching in a modern context.
This study was guided by the following research questions: What was the nature of teaching approaches in each of the three phases of Kenya’s education development: indigenous, colonial, and post-colonial? Could professional development using Open Educational Resources help engender in teachers’ learner-centred teaching approaches which are then successfully implemented in the classroom?
Key Terms in this Chapter
Validity: The accuracy, trustworthiness, truth, and dependability of research data.
In-Service: Continuing teacher professional development conducted with teachers who have positions teaching in the schools.
Banking: Paulo Freire’s description of educational content being poured into the heads of the students by the teacher who “owned” and dispersed the knowledge.
Learner-Centred: Pedagogical approach consisting of active, student-directed learning which often involves inquiry or higher-order thinking.
Indigenous Education: The means of passing along the traditions, culture, values, stories, and ways of life of a traditional culture. It is usually oral and handed down from one generation to the next in informal ways. It happens is contrasted with formal education which happens in a school setting.