Beyond the polarization of pedagogy: models of classroom practice in Tanzanian primary schools

Abstract

Debate on teaching in low‐income countries has tended to assume an over‐simplified conceptualization of pedagogy as either teacher‐centred or learner‐centred. If theory is to address itself to the complex challenge of improving the quality of teaching within under‐resourced education systems then it will have to move beyond this polarized view of pedagogy. This paper applies Basil Bernstein’s performance and competence modes to the findings of fieldwork in Tanzania. It thereby arrives at a more nuanced understanding of primary school teachers’ classroom practice, which allows for teachers working with a mixed palette of techniques and ideas. Bernstein’s pedagogic modes were constructed from his studies of education in Britain. Their application to the Tanzanian setting, however, highlights the limitations of analytical frameworks developed in western contexts. It is argued that appreciation and critique of pedagogy in low‐income countries could be deepened through linking with comparative literature that compares across English and non‐English‐speaking countries.

Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), UK, which funded the research project, and Oxfam GB Tanzania for sponsoring a portion of the fieldwork. I am grateful to Dr. Hillary Dachi at the University of Dar es Salaam for his practical and moral support during the fieldwork. I would like to thank Prof. Michael Crossley and Prof. Marilyn Osborn at the University of Bristol for their constructive support throughout the research project. Finally, I am grateful to Prof. Graham Vulliamy for engaging me in a discussion of the material presented here, which led to more careful consideration of the views expressed.