A mentoring approach to learner centred education in Tanzania : a case from the grass roots

Abstract

Over the past twenty years there has been an attempt to reform classroom pedagogy in Tanzania by implementing a learner-centred model of education. Even though government policy and curriculum design provide the policy conditions for implementing Learner Centred Education, research suggests that many teachers continue to implement teacher-centred approaches. This study reports on the findings of an instrumental case study that aimed to identify the strategies used by six mentor teachers to support teachers to effectively implement learner-centred education. The findings of this study revealed five strategies that mentors used to support the implementation of pedagogical change. These include; 1) supporting the development of teacher identity, 2) modelling flatter power relationships, 3) developing reflective practice, 4) modelling a learner centred environment and 5) engaging teachers in continuing professional development. The research also identified some of the challenges that mentors experienced, such as large class sizes, lack of resources and incongruent assessment and inspectorate policies. These findings suggest that if learner-centred pedagogies are to be successfully implemented in Tanzania, an ongoing continuing professional development program based on a mentoring model provides an effective strategy for enabling the implementation of LCE.