Participatory action research for engaging schools and Communities to enhance relevant learning: the use of'farm' as A pedagogical resource in Tanzanian rural primary schools

Abstract

This participatory action research study, founded on Nycrcre’s idea of education for self-reliance (ESR) and my lived experience with education and community development practices, aimed at developing solutions for enhanced relevant learning at primary education level. Specifically the study strived to facilitate local processes oriented towards larger integration of everyday experiences in learning, using farm as a pedagogical resource. In an attempt to achieve the above, 1 solidly mapped the school practice and contextual realities and negotiated the desired future of school and community development practices. This I did in collaboration with a research team, consisting of university based members, and actors from the field, such as teachers, parents, community development officers, administrators and local policy makers. This mapping informed the process of development and implementation of an action plan to realize the envisioned future in Tanzania rural settings. We used Nyandira primary school and community as a case. We approached the study from an interdisciplinary perspective embedded in cooperation, participation and democratic values. The thesis includes three articles corresponding to the main project phases: planning, acting, observing and reflecting. The first article draws from the planning phase of the project and aims to identify theoretical approaches that can support sustainable revitalization of ESR in Tanzania. The article has two parts; the first part advances arguments for revitalization of ESR philosophy to guide primary education in rural areas as an effort to improve learning outcomes both cognitively and affectively. The second part outlines the first phase of the project processes and the significance of democratic and extensive initial consultation with the community. The second article draws from both the planning and acting phases. Based on comprehensive preparation leading up to a two-day dialogue conference, facilitation and observation of the conference and reflections during and after the conference, we discuss the potential and function of dialogue conferences as a democratic platform for empowering local participants to take responsibility and ownership of change processes. The study reveals that dialogue conferences as a PAR method has immanent potential for uniting cooperative learning, research, and thus opening up opportunities for self-empowerment. However, throughout the processes, we realize that facilitating dialogue conferences requires familiarity with and sensitivity to the contextual and socio-cultural characteristics of the participants and their experiences. The third article mostly draws from the phases of actions and evaluation. The article discusses the implementation of the collaboratively developed action plan. Central themes covered arc the extent to which stakeholders honored commitments made during planning and the degree to which the stakeholders found proposed solutions appropriate in the actual implementation process. Reflecting on the overall project processes, the article highlights the successes recorded, challenges encountered and their mitigation. Overall, PAR well facilitated, can have an integrating function that prompts social connections and establishing of structures for meaningful engagement and bottom up generation of practical knowledge and interventions. In the process, self-empowerment among the participants become possible. We suggest that the use of farm as a pedagogical resource in Tanzanian rural contexts might be a promising strategy for strengthening school-community linkages. Strong links with immediate communities are likely to make schools more effective and relevant. Relevant primary education is an essential condition for development of sustainable livelihoods.