Gender and Teacher Pedagogical Practices in Nairobi Informal Settlements and Kilifi County, Kenya Charity Limboro (PhD)

Introduction  Over time, Kenya has viewed education as key to equitable social-economic development as noted in education commission reports and key policy documents  At individual level, education has been cherished as a route out of poverty for the educated individual and his/her nuclear and extended families

 Consequently, there has been notable heavy investment in education that has resulted in increased enrolment in primary education (after the introduction free primary in 2003)  Currently, national enrolment in primary education in Kenya stands at 51% boys and 49% girls  Nevertheless, these national statistics tend to mask regional disparities and especially among the marginalised communities Introduction Cont’d

 A lot of research has been done on gender disparities in education but there is a dearth of knowledge on how teachers engage with boys and girls in the classroom Introduction Cont’d

 Gender-biased pedagogical practices have been identified as a factor that affect girls’ empowerment and the attainment of gender equality  What happens in the teaching and learning processes in the classroom plays a big role in:  Determining how well girls and boys participate in education and;  whether they stay in school and do well in their studies Why Gender and teacher Pedagogical practices?

Why Gender and teacher Pedagogical practices Cont’d?  Consequently, since teachers are key to the teaching-learning processes, then their understanding of gender responsive pedagogy is critical for effective participation of girls and boys

Research Design  Ethnographic – holistic, contextual Methodology Study Locale and Sites Nairobi Kilifi

 The study was carried out in two counties that were purposefully selected Sample size ChildrenAdultsTotal GirlsBoysWomenMen Key Informant Interviewing Supplementary Interviewing FGD TOTAL Table 1: Sample Grid by Research Subjects, Gender and Methods

 A variety of methods were used: observations, interviews and selected Participatory Learning and Action (PLA)  Data was recorded both manually and electronically  Verbatim transcripts and researchers notes  Data analysis was continuous – every transcript had analytical questions. Data Collection Tools, Methods and the Generation of Data

 Women Education Researchers of Kenya (WERK) Child Protection Policy and Research Ethics Policy guided field data collection  Consent was sought from the informants  In respect to confidentiality, the names of all the research subjects have been kept anonymous Ethical Considerations

 The teachers of classes 2 and 5 who were observed in either mathematics or English lesson used a combination of methods such as lecture, demonstration; and question and answer methods to deliver their lessons.  Teachers in one school gave equal opportunity to boys and girls to participate in learning process. In other schools gender biases in favor of boys was clearly noticeable eg. boys were called by name more frequently than girls Presentation & Discussions of Findings Gender bias in the teaching-learning processes

 Sitting arrangements favoured boys  There were gendered spaces in the classroom  Ability grouping  Some teachers were insensitive to the needs of the girls in a classroom situation  Language used by teachers was biased e.g the use of ‘he’ as though to mean both boys and girls  Teachers depicted girls as ‘shy’ and boys ‘active Presentation & Discussions of Findings Cont,d

The few classrooms in the school that displayed wall charts sent gender stereotypical messages e.g:  women cooking and winnowing while men were depicted as teachers, doctors and farmers  charts and learning materials depicted gender neutral messages Non-Existent or Gender Insensitive Teaching- Learning Materials

 There was notable scarcity of textbooks even in core subjects such as Mathematics, English and Kiswahili in all schools  Learners lacked even local learning materials  Other teaching aids were used as both learning materials and tools to instill discipline Availability of Learning Materials

 Teachers were perpetuating gender bias and stereotyping through teaching and learning methodology  Teachers had poor pedagogical skills  The classroom environment marginalised girls, Conclusions

 Teacher education curricula for both pre-service and in-service must include gender responsive pedagogy so as to address the gender inequality in the social systems.  Teachers must learn to recognise and eliminate gender bias in their interactions with pupils both within and outside the classroom.  Practicing teachers should avoid language that discourages boys and girls from participating in the teaching learning processes  Girls should be encouraged to engage with boys in both classroom and out of class activities Recommendations