Table Of ContentLearner-Centred Pedagogy
in the Global South
Learner-Centred Pedagogy in the Global South: Pupils and Teachers’ Experiences
shines light on learner-centred pedagogy (LCP), which has gained popularity
within global and national governments, albeit resulting in puzzling and
inconsequential appropriation.
Nozomi Sakata draws on award-winning research on learner-centred pedagogy
conducted in Tanzania that looks to shift the focus from teachers and teaching to
students and learning. The recent spread of LCP through global policy discourse
meets Tanzania’s historical and contemporary (in)compatibility in local schools.
The book explores how pupils’ perceived classroom experiences are formed
through pedagogical elements beyond the classroom. It also enquires into how
observable LCP activities and/or pupils’ perceptions of classroom practices relate
to their academic performance and learning attitudes. The book highlights the
multidimensionality of pedagogy and the need to consider multiple viewpoints
from both teachers and pupils and to consider the historical and socio-cultural
contexts in any pedagogical research.
This book will be of value to researchers and students interested in pedagogy,
policy transfer and educational reforms in the global South.
Nozomi Sakata is Assistant Professor at the Center for the Study of International
Cooperation in Education in Hiroshima University, Japan. Her research interests
include educational policy diffusion and implementation with a focus on
pedagogical reform in low- and middle-income countries.
Routledge Research in International
and Comparative Education
This is a series that offers a global platform to engage scholars in continuous
academic debate on key challenges and the latest thinking on issues in the fast-
growing field of International and Comparative Education.
Titles in the series include:
A Framework for Critical Transnational Research
Advancing Plurilingual, Intercultural, and Inter-epistemic Collaboration in the
Academy
Edited by Manuela Guilherme
European Perspectives on Inclusive Education in Canada
Critical Comparative Insights
Theodore Michael Christou, Robert Kruschel, Ian Alexander Matheson, and
Kerstin Merz-Atalik
Globalization, Privatization, and Theories of State
Contemporary Education Reform in Honduras
D. Brent Edwards Jr., Mauro C. Moschetti, and Alejandro Caravaca
Configurations of Interdisciplinarity Within Education
Danish Experiences in a Global Educational Space
Trine Øland, Sofie Sauzet, Marie Larsen Ryberg, Katrine Lindvig
Learner-Centred Pedagogy in the Global South
Pupils and Teachers’ Experiences
Nozomi Sakata
Community Participation in School Management
Relational Trust and Educational Outcomes
Kazuro Shibuya
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Learner-Centred Pedagogy
in the Global South
Pupils and Teachers’ Experiences
Nozomi Sakata
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2023 Nozomi Sakata
The right of Nozomi Sakata to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
With the exception of the Chapters 1, 5, 6, 7 and 8, no part of
this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form
or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
The Chapters 1, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of this book are available for free in
PDF format as Open Access from the individual product page at
www.routledge.com. It has been made available under a Creative
Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-032-10054-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-10055-5 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-21342-0 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003213420
Typeset in Galliard
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
List of Figures vi
List of Tables vii
List of Appendices viii
Acknowledgements ix
List of Abbreviations xi
1 Introduction 1
2 Learner-Centred Pedagogy: Theoretical and Historical
Background 6
3 Mixed Methods Within Comparative Case Study 30
4 Historical and Contemporary Contexts of Tanzania
and the Global South 51
5 Teachers and the Act of Teaching 68
6 Pedagogical Dimensions Beyond Classrooms 96
7 Associations Between LCP and Pupils’ Learning Outcomes 129
8 Cross-Case and Cross-Axial Synthesis 143
9 New Insights on Learner-Centred Pedagogy in the
Global South 170
Appendix 1 Structured Observation Protocol 179
Appendix 2 Definitions of Activities 180
Appendix 3 Interaction Codebook 181
Appendix 4 Definitions of Interactions 182
Appendix 5 Questions for Teacher Interviews 184
Appendix 6 Questions for Focus Group Discussions With Pupils 186
Appendix 7 Pupil Questionnaire 187
Index 195
Figures
2.1 Conceptual framework of pedagogy 7
3.1 Comparative case-study framework 32
3.2 Multiple cases with an embedded unit design 37
3.3 The number of participants 38
3.4 Research design within the CCS framework 47
6.1 Percentage of time spent on LCP over 17 lessons 98
6.2 Median perceived-LCP 100
6.3 Pupil responses to each question on perceived-LCP 101
7.1 Distribution of standardised scores 130
7.2 Average ratings for learning attitudes 132
7.3 Z-score box plots 136
8.1 Revised conceptual framework of pedagogy 163
Tables
3.1 Characteristics of participating schools 39
3.2 Teacher’s qualifications 39
3.3 Teacher’s educational level 39
3.4 Sample size for each method 45
5.1 Percentage of lesson time by activity 72
5.2 Pupil–teacher interactions by IRF categories 85
6.1 Percentage of time spent on LCP by school 98
7.1 Descriptive statistics for learning attitudes 131
7.2 Averages for academic scores, attitudinal scores and LCP levels 136
7.3 The relationship between observed-LCP, perceived-LCP and
test scores 141
8.1 Summary of findings 148
Appendices
1 Structured Observation Protocol 179
2 Definitions of Activities 180
3 Interaction Codebook 181
4 Definitions of Interactions 182
5 Questions for Teacher Interviews 184
6 Questions for Focus Group Discussions with Pupils 186
7 Pupil Questionnaire 187
Acknowledgements
I owe a debt of thanks to a number of people for compiling this book. This book
is derived from my PhD thesis. My utmost gratitude goes to Moses Oketch, my
principal supervisor, who has been immensely constructive, challenging, honest
and trusting throughout the PhD process. I am also deeply indebted to Mao
Candappa, who has given me inspirational and valuable advice which changed
my way of looking at data, analysis and writing-up, and to Michele Schweisfurth,
who inspired me throughout my PhD journey with her scholarly work and con-
structive feedback on my thesis and an earlier version of this book.
I am very thankful to the Japan Student Services Organization for sponsoring
the doctoral study, to the British Association for International and Comparative
Education and the Gilchrist Education Trust for providing generous funding
during the fieldwork, and to the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for
funding follow-up research and making part of the book open access (JSPS KAK-
ENHI Grant Number JP 20K22241).
Much appreciation goes to people whom I met and worked with in Tanzania.
Warm welcomes from and the kind cooperation of the teachers and pupils at
the 13 schools made it possible for this book to come alive. My local research
assistants, Manyama Anania and Samwel Kulinga, provided painstaking work and
enormous help not only during but also after the fieldwork. I am especially grate-
ful for the Economic and Social Research Foundation for hosting me as a visiting
researcher while I was in Tanzania. The practical advice and support from Ian
Shanghvi, Fortunata Makene and Tausi Kida were crucial to carrying out the
fieldwork.
Inspirational conversations, mutual encouragement and laughing with my
friends and colleagues at the University College London’s Institute of Education
have been indispensable in pushing me towards the completion of my PhD and
this book. Many thanks to my life-long mentors and friends, Linda E. Patrik and
David Kaczynski, for their moral support and encouragement.
Thank you to Taylor and Francis and the co-authors for permitting to reuse
materials from the following articles:
Sakata, N. (2022). Is learner-centred pedagogy associated with pupils’ positive
attitudes towards learning? The case of Tanzania. Compare: A Journal of
