Pedagogy and practice

• In Event: Reimagining teacher education for development. A critical roundtable discussion.

Abstract

There is an increasing desire for children to be “critical thinkers”. With this desire comes the tacit assumption that particular types of pedagogy are more suitable for the desired “outcome” of critical thinking. Learner centered pedagogy (LCP) in particular is seen by the GMR14, and other similar reports, as a silver bullet. However, as with any type of pedagogy, LCP has a particular history and intent (Tabulawa, 2003). Moreover, it cannot simply be introduced without consideration of the history and context of an educational system. Indeed, as Vavrus and Bartlett (2012) point out, “pedagogy is shaped profoundly by the culture, economic, and social contexts in which teachers teach” (p. 636). Taking a global perspective on pedagogy—including how it is overlooked at the level of global governance—panelists will respond to ways in which LCP is appropriated and used across a variety of contexts, and the implications of this traveling policy for teachers and students (Schweisfurth, 2011).

Authors

• Richard Tjombe Tabulawa, University of Botswana

• Frances Vavrus, University of Minnesota

• Michele Schweisfurth, University of Glasgow

• Supriya Baily, George Mason University

• Irfan Muzaffar, Education & Social Research Collective

• Joshua Muskin, The Brookings Institution

• Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher, University of Pennsylvania