Engaging East African voices for teacher education in the digital age: Exploring transnational virtual collaboration

Abstract

A case study at an American university highlights digital collaboration with experienced Kenyan English teachers to promote transnational teacher identity and educate American students about pedagogical considerations for classrooms with difficult circumstances. Built on constructivist design and sociocultural theory, the collaboration seeks to combat Eurocentric views of English language teaching and value the expertise and voice of English teachers on the African continent. Digital collaboration is about access to people and content that can change perceptions and lead to improved pedagogy, affording student teachers an opportunity to develop twenty-first century skills while gaining awareness about the interconnectedness of language and identity and how this influences a teacher's pedagogical decision making. Students are exposed to the importance of pedagogy based on local culture, context, and classroom analysis and the utilization of indigenous topics and materials.