‘A good teacher should…’: exploring student perceptions of teaching quality in Rwandan secondary education

ABSTRACTThere have been significant efforts to enhance teaching quality in Rwandan secondary schools. Despite this focus, there has been little attention to understanding this construct, and especially what it means for students who are most affected by it. To address this gap, this study explored w...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Emma Carter, Pui Ki Patricia Kwok, Lydie Shima, Nidhi Singal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-12-01
Series:International Journal of Adolescence and Youth
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2023.2261545
Description
Summary:ABSTRACTThere have been significant efforts to enhance teaching quality in Rwandan secondary schools. Despite this focus, there has been little attention to understanding this construct, and especially what it means for students who are most affected by it. To address this gap, this study explored with students comprehensively what they valued in a ‘good’ teacher. Data drew upon 75 group discussions involving 419 students across 12 schools from six Rwandan districts. Through thematic analysis, findings revealed an understanding of ‘good’ teachers via multiple dimensions. Students highlighted the importance of teacher disposition and responsible behaviors. Teacher–student relationships were also strongly valued as was holistic learning including positive values and being influenced cognitively and affectively. These results provide important implications for teacher professional development and policies in response to the contextualized preferences.
ISSN:0267-3843
2164-4527