Pedagogy and History: Ujamaa and Learner-Centered Pedagogy in Tanzania

Social issues of today are rooted in history, and the study of contemporary issues would thus benefit from tracing their history. In Tanzania, Nyerere’s ujamaa philosophy and the accompanying education for self-reliance (ESR) policy offer a criterion relevant today in pedagogical analysis. Tanzania is currently implementing learner-centered pedagogy (LCP). This article considers the logic of ujamaa, which ostensibly appears to be compatible with LCP principles, and explores through empirical evidence the consistencies and inconsistencies between ujamaa/ESR, LCP, and the pedagogical approaches valued by present-day teachers. The teachers espoused the idea of self-reliance promoted through ujamaa, implying that pedagogies similar to LCP will produce self-reliant graduates. Instead of forcibly transmitting a universal form of ideal pedagogy, the cultural and historical connection between ujamaa and LCP could suggest appropriate forms of teaching and learning in the Tanzanian context