The recent controversy surrounding a University of Eldoret lecturer's political remarks in class has sparked a conversation about the qualifications and training of university lecturers in Kenya. While academic qualifications are essential, experts argue that lecturers need more than just a PhD to effectively teach students. The traditional route to becoming a lecturer in Kenya involves acquiring a degree, preferably a doctorate, demonstrating scholarship, publishing research, and accumulating experience. However, this journey does not necessarily include learning how to teach or espouse professional ethics.
In Kenya, the requirements for becoming a lecturer are not stringent, and being an accomplished economist, lawyer, historian, scientist, or political scientist does not automatically make one a good teacher. A lecturer must know how to manage a classroom, facilitate discussion, distinguish teaching from advocacy, handle disagreement, respect diversity among students, set appropriate boundaries, deal with sensitive subjects, and recognize the power relationship between them and students. Therefore, a lecturer needs more than just mastery of a subject; they need grounding in ethics and the practice of teaching.
Universities in other countries have recognized the importance of providing lecturers with training in higher education teaching. In England, higher education lecturers are recruited based on their academic qualifications but are expected to undertake a teaching qualification after joining the profession. The UK's Advance Higher Education has developed the Professional Standards Framework, which provides professional standards for teaching and supporting learning in higher education. This framework covers professional values, core knowledge, and areas of teaching activity.
Australia has also taken steps to professionalize higher education teaching. The Australian Universities Accord recognized that the normal route into university teaching has traditionally been through a PhD, whose principal emphasis is research rather than pedagogy. The accord recommended that higher education teaching should become more professionalized and that accredited teaching qualifications should eventually become the norm. This proposal includes high-quality professional development for existing academic staff and accredited teaching training for PhD candidates who intend to pursue academic careers.
In Kenya, the Commission for University Education's current framework places considerable emphasis on academic qualifications and experience in determining the appointment and promotion of university academic staff. While this model is necessary, experts argue that it is not sufficient. Universities need scholars who possess deep knowledge of their disciplines, but they also need lecturers who can effectively teach and communicate that knowledge to students. A lecturer teaching constitutional law, medicine, economics, engineering, or literature must know the subject, but they also need to know how to make that subject understandable to students.
The importance of teaching methodology and training is highlighted by the experiences of students who have had lecturers with an educational background. These lecturers approach teaching differently, with organized lectures, clear objectives, and a conscious effort to take students from what they already know to what they are expected to learn. One such lecturer, Prof Christopher Wekesa Mukwa, used humour, illustrations, and teaching aids to make ideas understandable and memorable. His approach to teaching has had a lasting impact on students, who still remember his lectures decades later.
Experts argue that universities in Kenya should require new academic staff to undergo structured training in higher education teaching before or within a defined period after appointment. This training would equip lecturers with the necessary skills to effectively teach and communicate with students. By investing in the professional development of lecturers, universities can ensure that students receive high-quality education and that lecturers are equipped to meet the challenges of teaching in a rapidly changing academic environment.
Key points
- Universities in Kenya should require new academic staff to undergo structured training in higher education teaching.
- Lecturers need more than just a PhD to effectively teach students; they require grounding in ethics and the practice of teaching.
- Professionalized higher education teaching, as seen in countries like England and Australia, can improve the quality of education and equip lecturers with the necessary skills to effectively teach and communicate with students.
