Primary Teacher Education in Rural Cameroon: Can Informal Learning Compensate for the Deficiencies in Formal Training?

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe objective of the research on which this article reports was to evaluate the training conditions of primary school teachers in rural Cameroon, so as to identify alternative paths towards their qualification through informal learning in the workplace and outside. Following Denzin’s (2009) between-methods triangulation approach, quantitative techniques, including statistical analyses and standardised questionnaires, were applied in addition to qualitative techniques, such as face-to-face interviews and observations of practising teachers and experts. The article presents the most common learning strategies of teachers in rural areas of Cameroon and recommends seminal solutions for teacher education. It can be concluded that informal learning in the workplace corresponds to traditional ways of learning in collectivist-oriented, oral societies in rural areas. Therefore, the combination of informal methods with formal structures of teacher education could improve the current educational system of many African countries, and provide a solution to meet the high demand for qualified staff within restricted budgets.