1. From ideas to outcomes:
learning from
research collaboration with
African partner universities
CRI Teaching through Research workshop
Elina Lehtomäki
24 March 2014

2. 24 March 2014 elina.k.lehtomaki@jyu.fi

3. Exclusion
Dropout
What do we know?
What do we not
know?
How could we know
better?
24 March 2014 elina.k.lehtomaki@jyu.fi
Consultancy:
education
development
in Tanzania
UNESCO
Capacity
Building in
Africa
Bilateral
cooperation:
Ministry of
Education,
Ethiopia
First ideas of three people in
three different projects:

4. Previous research and critique on education
development in sub-Saharan Africa
Increased access to primary education but:
- shortage of qualitified teachers
- high dropouts rates
- out-of-school children
- inadequate quality and poor relevance of learning
- inequality in advancement
- top-down policy processes and leadership
- weak connections between school and wider
society
WHAT DO THE STUDENTS SAY?
24 March 2014 elina.k.lehtomaki@jyu.fi

5. Educated Girls and Women in Tanzania:
Socio-cultural Interpretations on
the Meaning of Education
A multidisciplinary research project explores
achievements and challenges of educational equity
policies, processes and practices in Tanzania.
The focus is on socio-cultural interpretations of the
meaning of education for girls and women, including
girls and women with disabilities.
The studies analyze experience and perceptions of
girls and women, who, against odds, have
succeeded to continue their educational path up to
secondary and higher education, on the meaning of
education in their lives and factors contributing to
advancement.

6. From sharing ideas to research
24 March 2014 elina.k.lehtomaki@jyu.fi

7. Outputs: three doctoral dissertations
24 March 2014 elina.k.lehtomaki@jyu.fi
Hanna Posti-Ahokas:
Female Students’
Perspectives of Relevance of
Secondary Education in
Tanzania – A critical social
explanation
Magreth Matonya:
Accessibility of Higher
Learning in Tanzania,
Experiences of Women
with Disabilities

8. 24 March 2014 elina.k.lehtomaki@jyu.fi

9. Lehtomäki & Hukkanen (forthcoming): Tanzanian girls and
women with [dis]abilities claiming their right to education

10. Learning (and teaching) through
research collaboration
Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue:
– Working conditions: access to research literature,
library services, funding of field work, advisors
– Leadership and administration: high vs. low
authority, top-down vs. collaborative
– Knowledge: local context and global picture,
research approaches, methods and culturally,
socially appropriate applications and innovations
 Shared views, diverse approaches, long-term
collaboration and new partnerships
24 March 2014 elina.k.lehtomaki@jyu.fi

11. What about outcomes?
24 March 2014 elina.k.lehtomaki@jyu.fi

12. New projects and collaboration
Culturally responsive teacher education
(Ghana, Tanzania, South Africa, Finland)
African-Finnish Network for Inclusive
Teacher Education (Ethiopia, Kenya,
Tanzania, Finland)
From Disability to Capability
Influencing programmes of intergovernmental
and international organisations, e.g. UN
inclusive education in post-2015 Millennium
Development Goals
24 March 2014 elina.k.lehtomaki@jyu.fi

13. Global Connectedness: Student Voices on the Value of
Cross-cultural Learning Dialogue
Lehtomäki, E., Posti-Ahokas, H., Moate, J.
ECER Network 20: Research in innovative intercultural
learning environments
Contribution of qualitative education research to
future European – African cooperation
Lehtomäki, E., Posti-Ahokas, H., Okkolin, M.A.,
Matonya, M., Bhalalusesa, E.