Questions about what constitutes effective teacher education, compatible with today's changing educational demands, have become commonplace. This article is therefore an overview of ideas about the elements of effective teacher education in light of the 21 st century demands. Drawing on literature and the authors' knowledge of teacher education in the East African context, the article argues the case for the different elements of effective teacher education programs that would help the region, and by extension other developing countries, meet their educational obligations in the 21 st century. The paper also highlights the theoretical underpinnings of these elements and concludes with the implications of these elements to teacher preparation in East Africa.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on education provision worldwide. School leaders, teachers and parents found themselves in uncharted circumstances, which hugely impacted their roles in promoting children’s learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles played by leaders, teachers, and parents during the COVID-19 crisis. This paper discusses teaching and learning in this time of crisis. The study sampled 10 head teachers, 60 schoolteachers and 57 parents representing 10 primary schools in five districts in the Lindi region of Tanzania. A postmodernism lens was applied to respond to questions about the strengths and weaknesses of support structures, such as parents, teachers, and local and central government, in the era of COVID-19. Data indicate that teachers, parents, and even the government, had to try various approaches to shift between different roles involved in addressing learning demands in the era of COVID-19 in Tanzania. Generally, the study identifies complex tensions between the support structures, that had been brought on by the pandemic. It is through understanding the complex tensions and balancing various roles that we can begin to understand the teaching and learning landscape in times of crisis.

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