V3I5P27

Reconceptualising Teacher Education and Qualification Frameworks in the Great Lakes Region of East Africa: Lessons and Insights from Uganda

Mark Kiiza^1*, Henry Omara^2*, Geoffrey Muhanuzi³

Abstract

Teacher education and qualification frameworks in Uganda and the broader Great Lakes Region of East Africa have increasingly come under scrutiny due to concerns over their quality, coherence, and responsiveness to evolving educational realities. Despite numerous reforms, gaps remain in ensuring that teacher preparation adequately equips graduates to address local socio-cultural and classroom challenges. This study re-examines the existing teacher education and qualification framework with the aim of proposing a more contextually relevant and blended model for Uganda and the wider region. The objectives of the study were to examine the adequacy of current teacher education and qualification frameworks, analyse their alignment with regional educational realities, and propose a reconceptualised blended framework for teacher education and professional qualification. The study adopted a qualitative conceptual research design based on documentary analysis of policy documents, legal instruments, and scholarly literature on teacher education in Uganda and selected East African contexts. Findings reveal that existing frameworks are fragmented and insufficiently aligned with local educational needs, resulting in a persistent mismatch between teacher preparation and classroom realities. The study further establishes that current training approaches are overly theoretical and weak in integrating indigenous knowledge systems and context-relevant pedagogies, thereby limiting their practical effectiveness. The study concludes that teacher education and qualification systems in Uganda and the Great Lakes Region require urgent reconceptualisation to enhance relevance, coherence, and responsiveness. It recommends the development of a blended teacher education and legal qualification framework grounded in knowledge-based theoretical principles that integrate professional, pedagogical, and contextual competencies. Such a framework is essential for producing competent, locally responsive teachers capable of addressing contemporary educational challenges in the region of the Great Lakes of East Africa.

Keywords:

Teacher Education, Framework, Qualification, Dynamic, Principles professional values