Abstract:

This paper discusses the role of a teacher as facilitator of learning and as a pedagogical approach to gender and cultural factors in African rural classrooms, using the Nigerian context. The paper presents findings of the study that was conducted in rural secondary schools of Lagos State in Nigeria, where learners, teachers, and community members from different cultural backgrounds voluntarily participated. Using a qualitative approach, and an interpretive paradigm, and drawing from the socio-cultural theory, we argue that the classroom pedagogies that are inclined towards the role of a teacher as facilitator of learning draw learners into the subject and keep them in classrooms in rural multicultural and gendered contexts. The findings of the study reveal that in multicultural societies in Africa, different cultural groups practice numerous cultural festivals that last between two weeks and a few months, and within which cultural education occurs. The cultural education teaches young people skills, knowledge and values, and some of the values attached to it are that it instils entrepreneurial skills to youths, and it is thus perceived as relevant to the societal needs. On the other hand, the formal school environment is gendered, unsafe and has inadequate resources and unskilled teachers particularly for science subjects. As such when festivals clash with formal schooling time, parents, and learners privilege cultural festivals and this leads to learners’ prolonged absences from schools, which at times lead to school dropouts. However, the findings also reveal that a few teachers who conceptualise their roles as facilitators of learning, thus use learner-centred teaching strategies, and make learners engage in activities grounded in subject content knowledge, enable learners to have some control over their own learning and develop self-confidence and potential to be lifelong learners. This also encourages learners to attend their lessons regularly. The paper highlights challenges of bridging the gap between the two forms of education in multicultural African contexts and suggests the way forward for curriculum and teacher development.

Keywords:

Teacher as facilitator of learning, Socio-cultural theory, Multicultural societies in Africa, Formal and cultural education, Education retention.