Abstract
In 2001, a program of distance learning was started within Kigali Institute of Education in collaboration with the Rwanda's Ministry of Education. It is an in-service training program that aims to upgrade in-service secondary school teachers and alleviate the shortage of teachers both in terms of quality and number. This program runs parallel to a pre-service program, also conducted within the Kigali Institute. Academic staff members working in the pre-service program are involved in this distance learning program. After three years, a descriptive qualitative case study was conducted to determine the experiences of academic staff involved in the distance learning program. Purposive and theoretical sampling was used for participants’ identification and inclusion. Individual unstructured interview and focus group discussion was used to gather the data. A qualitative software analysis called NVivo 2, developed by Qualitative Solutions and Research (QSR) International in 2002, was used to compile and analyse the data. Results of the study revealed that faculty members involved in both in-service and pre-service programs face challenges associated with heavy workload. Moreover, the pre-service program is typically prioritized at the expense of the distance learning in-service program. Academic relationships between faculty members and tutors also need to be reinforced. Serving as the critical link between the distance learning in-service program and pre-service departments and faculties, this research also shows that course coordinators play a pivotal role in the smooth operation of the distance learning program.
Highlights
After the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the country faced critical shortages of human resources both in terms of quality and quantity
There were three categories of academic staff involved in the process of distance learning (DL) implementation: 1.) academic staff from faculties who maintain their departmental status as well; 2.) course coordinators hired as full time staff of the DL program; and 3.) tutors located in different study centres through out Rwanda
The course coordinators act as liaisons between the distance learning program and the departments; they plan the modules, write the modules, proof read the modules, and generally make sure they are ready on time
Summary
After the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the country faced critical shortages of human resources both in terms of quality and quantity. The education system was affected by the genocide, a situation which led to the establishment of higher learning institutions by the Government of Rwanda. Sufficient numbers of qualified teachers are the cornerstone of the Millennium Development Goals to which the Government of Rwanda is committed. It is within this political context that Kigali Institute of Education was formed. Kigali Institute of Education was established in January 1999 by the Government of Rwanda to help address the shortage of qualified teaching staff at the secondary level and the shortage of managerial staff needed to run technical and vocational training institutions. The Kigali Institute of Mukamusoni ~ Distance Learning Program of Teachers’ at The Kigali Institute of Education: An expository study
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