Self Help Africa Case Study

Self Help Africa's

Social Justice Module for Initial Teacher Education 

Although Self Help Africa (SHA) has been active in Higher Education for many years, in 2019 they took a significant step forwards by implementing a Social Justice 8-week Optional Module for ITE students at Maynooth University. This has enabled SHA to solidify their presence in ITE and to create a multiplier effect for teacher engagement with Development Education. The module was developed in consultation with the university, which ensured that it met students’ needs and that it was pitched in an accessible yet challenging manner. 

SHA took a number of practical steps to increase visibility, enhance impact and ensure continuity. Students’ participation was acknowledged through a recognised university certificate which improves their prospects of employment. Current participants were interviewed to camera, leading to the creation of a video, see below, that was used to inspire new students to take the optional module the following year. A presentation ceremony at an UBUNTU Dialogue Day increased knowledge of the work being conducted by SHA and led to further colleges seeking facilitation for their ITE students. 

Feedback from students suggests that one of the main results of the course was an increased ability to critically analyse issues such as poverty, inequality and injustice. One student noted, “The course encouraged me to challenge my actions, ability and accepted understanding of how things are.”


Another key result was an increase in skills for facilitating participative and stimulating Development Education workshops. This learning was supported through the module’s Teacher Facilitation Toolkit, which provides methodologies and links that support the student teachers in their classroom practice. 


The most significant change may be that the students gained a deeper understanding of their teaching practice from both professional and personal perspectives. Students spoke of a heightened awareness of their emerging role as a teacher and their personal responsibility to use education as a tool for transformative change. One student stated, “As a teacher I do have power. I can influence change among every group of students that I meet.” Another stated that he gained a deeper understanding of what it means to build critical thinking skills in students, stating that before he thought of critical thinking as a ‘buzz word’ but after the course he realised that “what it [critical thinking] really means in terms of teaching students is that they have the courage to ask the question, Why?”


It is difficult to ascribe impact in terms of changes in individual knowledge, skills or behaviour, other than through the evidence above of interest and intention. What future engagement the teachers will have and the impact on their future students is even more challenging to measure. The participants will be interviewed annually to see if they are still using SHA methodologies and materials, and if so, in what ways. The purpose of this would not be to claim attribution, as there are many other factors influencing the development of newly qualified teachers. The value would lie in exploring how learning from the SHA module may have contributed to their further development personally and professionally. 


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