Connected Learning Initiative: A Novel Tool for Teacher Capacity Development in Nigeria

Abstract

All three tiers of education in Nigeria (primary, secondary, tertiary) lay emphasis on STEM subjects. The methods and strategies employed by STEM teachers in most Nigerian schools have remained teacher-centred and textbook-oriented. This paper has brought together some elements of the innovation achieved in the Connected Learning Initiative (CLIx) to address the identified challenges in STEM education in Nigerian junior secondary schools through the CL4STEM project to build processes for long-term systemic dialogues and networking. CLIx was seeded by the Tata Trusts and led by TISS and MIT, USA, to strengthen secondary STEM learning, pedagogic content knowledge of teachers and their practice at scale in four states in India.  The programme’s interactive STEM OERs, subject teacher CoPs on mobile devices, tech design for under-resourced context, participatory and localised ecosystem approach to adoption and scaling, are identified as innovative and scalable models. Data were collected in three phases, baseline, midline, and endline. The findings from interviews indicate that teachers' understanding of CL4STEM innovation seem to improve from baseline to endline.At the baseline 2 teachers were still learning how to effectively navigate CL4STEM modules and Telegram group (CoPs) while none was at the endline. There is an increase in the number of teachers exploring ways of improving CL4STEM teaching strategies through further refinement of the modules and CoP participation and/or alternative ways of achieving better results from 1 at midline to 5 at endline. There is a decrease in the number of teachers that are exploring ways of collaboration with other teachers and educators to help impact student learning using CL4STEM teaching strategies from 11 at the midline to 3 at the endline. Other changes from baseline through midline to endline, generally positively, with respect to perception, voluntariness, relative advantage, compatibility, image, ease of use, research demonstrability, and visibility have been recorded here-in.