The Community Teacher: An African Perspective

• In Event: Contemporary Research Perspectives on African Transformative Education

Abstract

Purpose
The paper aims to present research perspectives on the African community teacher. First, I examine and define the concept of a community teacher—a cultural teacher who is deeply invested in the community he/she teaches in, views teaching as a personal responsibility and takes an unwritten oath to service the community by transforming the lives of the children and their families. Second, I analyze the principles and practices of the community teacher, and finally, I discuss the lessons from the African community teacher practice and define the characteristics and practices of community teachers.

Theoretical perspectives
Contrary to earlier studies which link urban students’ learning and achievement to deficit theories related to pathological disorder, inferior intelligence, family conditions and poverty, today evidence suggests that the teacher is the most significant factor that affects student learning and achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2004; Haycock, 2001). It is well documented that teaching is an extremely challenging endeavor in many America’s schools especially in urban schools. In contrast, and in many schools in Africa, teaching, regardless of the grade level, is one of the most revered and rewarding professions. Much has been written about community of practice. The traditional definition of a teacher is one who shapes or molds young people's lives. Today school practices especially in urban schools rarely fulfill this role. Recently, the terms community of learners, community of practice, and learning community have proliferated the educational landscape. These terms have evolved based on the philosophical thinking of John Dewey, Maxine Greene, Nel Noddings, and Robert Bellah and other contemporary multicultural scholars. Multicultural scholars call for schools to function as learning communities or community of practice. While there is scholarship on the concepts of “community of learners”, learning community, teaching community, and community of practice, little to no knowledge exists on the topic of the community teacher.

Methods/Data Sources
The research methodology that informed this paper is historical memory, which I consider as a qualitative form of research in which I drew on my experiences both as a student and a teacher to reconstruct the practice and characteristics of teachers who functioned as community teachers.

Results/Conclusions
The research resulted in the conceptualization of the community teacher and the practices. I define the community teacher as one who engages in the profession of teaching as a community service and views himself/herself as community builder and nation builder. The community teacher understands teaching beyond the traditional school curricular responsibility as merely impact students’ knowledge to pass the subject he/she teachings. Instead the community teacher sees her role as primarily one of community or nation builder, who provides an all-round development to students so that they can effectively take their place in the community.

Scientific or Work Significance
This is important because, while we know about community of practice, learning community, community of learners, we do know what a community teacher is and the responsibilities performed.

Author

• Omiunota N. Ukpokodu, University of Missouri - Kansas City