Using the Capability Approach to improve the sustainability of teacher in-service training

There is broad consensus in the education community that reading is a fundamental skill that children must master in order to succeed in their academic and professional futures. However, recent national assessments in Tanzania... [ view full abstract ]

There is broad consensus in the education community that reading is a fundamental skill that children must master in order to succeed in their academic and professional futures. However, recent national assessments in Tanzania show that 60% of Standard 7 students are not able to read at a Standard 2 level, and 40% of Standard 2 students scored zero in reading comprehension. Although many factors contribute to such assessment scores, these results do suggest inadequacies in teachers’ pedagogical knowledge, particularly in foundational Early Grade Reading (EGR). This paper offers an investigation into the principles that should underpin teacher in-service training to ensure the sustained use and integration of effective EGR instructional practices.

The principles surrounding the Capability Approach and Critical Realism will be used to explore a Theory of Teacher Change that can be facilitated through in-service training. The rationale for using the Capability Approach lies in its ability to provide a precise conceptualisation of well-being, as well as analytical tools to identify constraints on this. When combined with Critical Realism, causal links can be made between constrained well-being and teacher classroom practice and behaviour. I will discuss how addressing constraints offers a new process for sustaining change in teachers’ EGR practice and will draw from qualitative research conducted in Tanzanian primary schools in 2010/2013 for analysis. I will also discuss examples from the DFID-funded Education Quality Improvement Programme in Tanzania to demonstrate how these principles currently underpin EGR training that aims to contribute to sustainable futures for Tanzanian learners.