Teaching Social Competencies in Post-Conflict Societies

Learner-centered education is not only a crucial issue for quality of education but also for students’ social self-esteem, self-effectiveness and societal peace and coherence. Following the trauma of the genocide, learner-centered education has been systematically introduced in Rwandan protestant schools in response to the need for peace, social coherence and to improve the quality of education. This book provides an overview of the concepts and experiences from a new Rwandan teacher training program “Participatory and active Pedagogy”; its educational theory, strategies of implementation, testimonials of teachers involved and the results of an evaluation testing the teachers’ development and curriculum effectiveness on students. Francois Rwambonera headed the teacher training program and department for education of the ecumenical Council of Churches in Rwanda from 1995 to 2012. Annette Scheunpflug and Susanne Krogull, both from Otto-Friedrich University in Bamberg, Germany, were charged with completing an independent evaluation of the program.