Dialogues over decolonisation in East Africa: A case study of history education in Uganda

Abstract

This paper investigates History education in Uganda by interrogating data emerging from interviews with secondary History teachers. Two strands of literature are brought to the data analysis: one strand relates to how decolonisation has been conceptualised in interpretations of History education in Uganda; a second strand relates to what the most appropriate pedagogies might be to underpin History teaching and learning in this postcolonial setting. The pedagogical text is informed by the work of Bruner, Vygotsky and Hedegaard. This work feeds into reflections on how mutuality (Boyanton, 2015) and opportunities for dialogue, ownership and internalisation might be established and developed. We explore how psychological, social, emotional and cultural aspects of learning play a part in establishing a link between identity, relevance and significance which takes into account how teachers and learners give and receive value through a search for authenticity. The research findings confirm the need for students to be able to see themselves in the narrative, but they also include recognition of a broader imperative to understand the personal and local within wider regional and global contexts.