Curriculum reform in post-1990s sub-Saharan Africa

Cultural challenges to implementation of formative assessment in Saudi Arabia: An exploratory study

“…Increased pressure to perform well in high-stakes examinations can lead to the backwash effect, and steer the focus of learning towards the memorization of simple facts in order to pass exams (Lewin & Dunne 2000). Chisholm and Leyendecker (2008) stated that didactic teaching methods are considered to be common in many education systems in developing countries, despite efforts to move towards learner-centered teaching methods. Teacher-centered methods, also known as transmission teaching, are considered to be less demanding of pupils and responsible for ''stifling critical and creative thinking among pupils'' (Mtika & Gates 2010).…”

Coming to knowabout teaching, its development and researcher practice through collaborative action research with adult education teachers in Sudan

“…References in discourses on African pedagogies signal the dominance of particular conceptions of 'effective teaching', namely the "widely accepted social constructivist theory of learning" (Pontefract and Hardman, 2005, p.100), which is formulated as 'learner-centred' pedagogy. 'Learnercentred' approaches are recommended by development agencies and governments as a means of improving education quality (Croft, 2002b), while the ambiguity and familiarity of the concept helped it to gain local support in post-independence African states (Chisholm and Leyendecker, 2008). Characteristics of education propounded in the learner-centred approach include knowledge as constructed, rather than transmitted, and learning as an active process, language and communication are emphasised as integral to developing cognitive processes (Chisholm and Leyendecker, 2008).…”

“…'Learnercentred' approaches are recommended by development agencies and governments as a means of improving education quality (Croft, 2002b), while the ambiguity and familiarity of the concept helped it to gain local support in post-independence African states (Chisholm and Leyendecker, 2008). Characteristics of education propounded in the learner-centred approach include knowledge as constructed, rather than transmitted, and learning as an active process, language and communication are emphasised as integral to developing cognitive processes (Chisholm and Leyendecker, 2008). This contrasts with pedagogies common in Sub-Saharan Africa which are viewed as traditional, teacher-centred and behaviourist (Pontefract and Hardman, 2005).…”

The role of education in development: an educationalist’s response to some recent work in development economics

“…It is evident that the two education MDGs will be missed and that this will not simply be because of lack of political will (as Sachs argues). We also know that improvements in educational quality and attainment are not simply about correct application of widely known and accepted technologies but are inherently more complex issues in which issues such as culture, teacher's status and authority, organisational cultures, etc., are of significance (e.g., Ramirez 2006;Chisholm and Leyendecker 2008;Hardman, Abd-Kadir and Smith 2008;Tikly 2008). …”