A five-day in-service teachers’ workshop mounted by Kibabii University began at Farm View Hotel in Busia Town on Monday 13th June, 2022. The Workshop is part of a pilot research project on an approach to school-based in-service teacher training at secondary schools in Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia, namely the “Strengthening Inservice Teacher Mentorship and Support” with specific focus on teachers of mathematics. The project is funded by The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Global Partnership for Education (GPE). It is implemented by the Dar es Salaam University College of Education in collaboration with Kibabii University, University of Zambia and HELVETAS, a Swiss Non-Governmental Organization based in Tanzania.
The Workshop brings together tutors from various Diploma Teacher Colleges in Western Kenya who are being trained and will later provide mentorship and support to mathematics teachers to be drawn from various secondary schools in Busia, Bungoma and Kakamega Counties.
According to the experts in the project, the participants will learn good practices, gain confidence as well as strengthening improvisation and innovation in teaching and using local teaching and learning resources.
The weeklong workshop was officially opened by the Vice Chancellor, Kibabii University Prof. Isaac Ipara Odeo.
In his keynote address, Prof. Ipara underscored the importance of embracing innovation in teaching and learning. With the introduction of Competence Based Curriculum in Kenya, the Government of Kenya has laid structures to ensure full implementation. The curriculum emphasizes on learner outcomes rather than basic knowledge is learner-centred and adaptive to the changing needs of students, teachers, and society. This, according to Prof. Ipara shall borrow a lot from the outcomes of the SIIT Workshop.
“This workshop could not have come at a better time. The programme is focused at rejuvenating and reengineering teachers to ensure a turn around in the performance of mathematics and sciences. We must therefore realign our teaching methodologies applicable and enjoyable to the learners,” Prof. Ipara said.
The event was also attended by the Deputy County Assurance and Standards Officer Busia County Ms. Knight Tundo Momanyi and the Deputy Director, Teachers Service Commission Dr. Moses Obiayo.
Ms. Momanyi highlighted the challenges facing the teaching profession, mentioning peer pressure, experience syndrome and resistance to change as the main drawbacks to efforts laid by stakeholders in infusing innovation in the revised curricular.
The project team from Kibabii University includes Prof. Ipara, Prof. Mutua, Prof. Maiyo, Dr. Munir, Dr. Echaune, Dr. Christine and Dr. Kirwa.
