Insufficient teachers, limited resources, inadequate infrastructure and the over-crowded classrooms are a few of the challenging factors affecting the education sector in Uganda. While a number of interventions are underway to improve the quality of education, focusing on new teaching methods and creating a stimulating environment can make a considerable difference.

While access to education has substantially increased over the years, the declining quality of education is still a growing concern for many in Uganda. A large number of schools are afflicted with insufficient teachers, limited equipment and inadequate infrastructure to meet the needs of the growing classroom population.

The Teacher Training Education (TTE) project set up by the Belgian development agency and the Ugandan government seeks to address this problem. The project aims at improving the quality of secondary teacher education in National Teachers’ Colleges by strengthening the professional competencies of future teachers and enhancing infrastructure.

For quite a long time, teachers have relied on the traditional teacher-centered education styles where they are viewed as the information provider while students simply listen, memorise and take notes. This tactic has proven to limit the skills and knowledge development of students. However, accompanied by the fact that teachers are grappling with large numbers of students in a single classroom, limited teaching resources and poor infrastructure, the quality of education has been severely watered down.

One of the main objectives of the TTE project is to improve the quality of teacher training by introducing a learner-centered approach to teaching known as the Active Teaching and Learning (ATL). This means that the learning systems shift focus from the teacher to the student and provoke independent reasoning, problem solving and critical thinking. Through ATL, students are more likely to retain a higher percentage of knowledge and skills because they engage with materials, participate in and out of the classroom and exchange information with their peers.

ATL is improving learning in a way that benefits both the teacher and the student. Phionah Namutosi, a student from National Teachers’ College Mubende shared the experience.

“During my time as a student, teachers were focused on exams and I found myself not understanding a lot of the subjects in the classroom. Right now with Active Teaching and Learning approach, lessons are more interesting and I gain so much more than before.”

“This way of learning is more realistic than theoretical,” explains Nawuma Sarah, a mentor teacher at National Teachers’ College Kaliro.  The students enjoy more when they are involved and in control of their learning. As a teacher, I have changed practice. I used to lecture to my students but now my role is to facilitate learning while using the different ATL methods, techniques and resources.”

Ultimately providing better teaching methods is one way to improve the quality of education. In order to take a step further, a substantial investment has to be made on infrastructural support. This is because a conducive learning environment is key for optimal learning.

Through the infrastructural component of the TTE project a lot of emphasis has been put on creating a healthy functional learning environment that enhances Active Teaching and Learning.  The architectural designs and infrastructural set-up take into account several important factors that focus on innovation, sustainability, energy efficiency and the natural environment. Classrooms benefit from sufficient natural daylight and a well-designed cross ventilation sets off the higher tropical temperatures without any artificial intervention.

The learning environment has been enhanced through the creation of spacious and flexible classrooms. These classrooms have electricity sockets installed in the centre to ease projector and computer use and writing boards and furniture that can easily be repositioned. This makes it easier for teachers to step away from the teacher centered approach and use ICT as an extra learning tool.

Another contribution to improving ATL is the creation of outdoor learning spaces. This gives room and resources to both teachers and students to explore different learning techniques and encourages creativity.

While classroom areas have been majorly considered, libraries have not been forgotten! Since libraries are the centre of learning, it made it quite essential to create an engaging learning environment. Innovations such as small working rooms for groups, wireless internet and availability of computers have transformed libraries in the National Teachers’ Colleges into a hub of knowledge with user-friendly facilities.

Nawuma Sarah, a mentor teacher in NTC Kaliro shared her views on the new infrastructural developments. “The classrooms are quite accommodative now and this makes it helpful in creating learning centres and utilizing other ATL techniques. Most of our students are from a rural setting and provision of such facilities has given them an opportunity to learn more skills, carry out research and improve their learning process.”

The new architectural developments have also gone as far as renovating and building more than education blocks in the Colleges. These include sports facilities, accommodation facilities and creating safe learning environments based on the different needs of the College staff and students.

Infrastructure has played a big role in stimulating learning especially in the National Teachers’ Colleges (NTCs) where the project is reaching over 7,235 students through the first and second phase of the project. The second phase of the project is focusing on pedagogy for NTC Kabale and Mubende, while NTC Muni and Kaliro get special attention on accommodation for students and teachers.  Construction designs are presently well underway in order to start construction by the end of 2018 and get completion by early 2020. Finally, the project is also setting up an infrastructural maintenance programme for all NTC’s including NTC Unyama which got infrastructure support from other donors.