Exploring children's experiences of schooling in Tanzania: how the ‘hidden curriculum’ undermines aspirations for sustainable development

Adamson, L. and Brown, R. (2024) Exploring children's experiences of schooling in Tanzania: how the ‘hidden curriculum’ undermines aspirations for sustainable development. Children and Society, (doi: 10.1111/chso.12847) (Early Online Publication)

Abstract

In the context of aspirations that firmly position education as the key to multiple global development goals, we raise concerns about how education is experienced by many children, particularly in low‐income, postcolonial contexts. Drawing from two, in‐depth qualitative studies in Tanzania, we demonstrate that existing pedagogical practices, including the use of an unfamiliar language of learning and teaching, constitute a ‘hidden curriculum’ that powerfully undermines the vision of education embedded in the sustainable development agenda. We argue that research that foregrounds children's experiences should have a more prominent role as it enables us to understand the lived implications of global policy‐making.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The fieldwork for Author 1's study was partially funded by the Tim Morris Award, managed by Education Development Trust. The preparation of this paper was supported by an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, Grant Number: ES/W005484/1. Author 2's study was funded by a GCRF-SHLC (Global Challenges Research Fund—Sustainable, Healthy, Learning Cities and Neighbourhoods) PhD Scholarship.
• Status: Early Online Publication
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Brown, Dr Rhona and Adamson, Dr Laela
• Authors: Adamson, L., and Brown, R.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education; College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Pedagogy Policy and Practice
• Journal Name: Children and Society
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 0951-0605
• ISSN (Online): 1099-0860
• Published Online: 26 February 2024
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2024 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Children and Society 2024
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License