By Hilton Mwabili
African teachers have been advised to engage in extensive research as one way of building up standards and quality in their trade. According to Teachers Services Commission Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia, a teacher who engages in research will always look at matters in a broad perspective and therefore likely to give quality results.
During the recent African Confederation of Principals (ACP) in Mombasa the teachers employer boss observed that it is imperative for teachers to begin utilising available technological advancement to expand their understanding of subjects they teach in a bid to uplift education standards.
Dr. Macharia reminded the over 1,300 principals from 10 African countries that with the advanced technology, learners of the 21st century are more knowledgeable and without proper research, a teacher maybe be of not much assistance to learners progression.
“A quality teacher must have a deeper understanding of the subject he teaches,” Macharia said noting that there is need for teachers to stay up to date in their subject areas and on new research about pedagogy-methods and practice of teaching.
“Teachers have to examine information and use it to help their students learn more. They have to be members of learning communities. In this case they have to collaborate with colleagues, parents and community members and share successes and failures and learn from each other because the world is changing and so is the way of doing things. New approaches are coming every day,” advised the CEO.
TSC Director of Quality Assurance and Standards Dr. Reuben Mugwuku referred the Principals to “The Singapore Teaching Practice” which he described as a model that makes explicit how effective teaching and learning is achieved in Singapore schools.
“In countries like Singapore which is leading in teaching profession across the world, you will realise that they have made big strides because teachers are given ample time to carry out research on the subjects they teach, thereby giving the teaching quality in that country an edge,” said the Quality assurance and standards director.
To complement research Dr. Macharia advised the principals to inculcate the culture of utilising technology as leverage for instructional improvement in classroom, as well as embrace the use of innovative and interactive teaching methods to improve quality of teaching.
UNICEF Chief Education and Youth Development Officer in Malawi, Kimanzi Muthengi charged that school unrests that erupted in the country were mostly as a result of failure to embrace utilisation of technology in schools. Muthengi told the ACP conference that tendency to ignore some of the students demands and bulldoze issues are some of the prime reasons why chaos erupt in schools.
