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“We make do”: Experiences and beliefs of teachers working in conflict-affected Niger

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  • Murugaiah, Kiruba

Abstract

This article explores Nigerien teachers’ educational beliefs through a phenomenological study of their experiences. “We make do” is a common refrain of teachers working in the Diffa region of the Republic of Niger. It speaks both to teachers’ resourcefulness and their struggles protecting and educating children during periods of extreme violence. This study narratively depicts the nuances of becoming a primary school teacher during Niger’s post-colonial period and being a teacher in Diffa during the Boko Haram insurgency. I interpret teachers’ experiences against the backdrop of Niger’s educational history and the hegemony of Western humanitarianism to elucidate teachers’ deeply held beliefs influencing their teaching practice. Taking a decolonial stance, I argue that foregrounding Nigerien teachers’ experiences and beliefs, often neglected by the humanitarian sector, is vital in tackling the cultural and ideological tensions on the purpose and value of education and improving classroom teaching practices.

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  • Murugaiah, Kiruba, 2023. "“We make do”: Experiences and beliefs of teachers working in conflict-affected Niger," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:injoed:v:100:y:2023:i:c:s0738059323000846
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102808
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lori Hartmann-Mahmud, 2011. "Pounding Millet During School Hours: Obstacles to Girls’ Formal Education in Niger," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 23(3), pages 354-370, July.
    2. Youssoufou Hamadou Daouda, 2020. "Poverty and living conditions with Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin: the case of southeastern Niger," Review of African Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(163), pages 126-134, July.
    3. Diana Saltarelli & Kenneth D. Bush, 2000. "The Two Faces of Education in Ethnic Conflict: Towards a peacebuilding education for children," Papers innins00/7, Innocenti Insights.
    4. Tessa Bold & Deon Filmer & Gayle Martin & Ezequiel Molina & Brian Stacy & Christophe Rockmore & Jakob Svensson & Waly Wane, 2017. "Enrollment without Learning: Teacher Effort, Knowledge, and Skill in Primary Schools in Africa," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 31(4), pages 185-204, Fall.
    5. Alain Mingat & Kirsten Majgaard, 2012. "Education in Sub-Saharan Africa : A Comparative Analysis," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 13143.
    6. Schweisfurth, Michele, 2015. "Learner-centred pedagogy: Towards a post-2015 agenda for teaching and learning," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 259-266.
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