Adopting place-based learning as a pedagogical strategy in Textile Technology teacher education

Abstract

Changes in education globally have ushered in several modifications in the context in which students learn. To align with these changes, teacher education must also be modified. Our line of reasoning in this study is that the use of place-based learning in teaching textile technology could transform student teachers’ learning experiences and contribute to the development of 21st-century attributes. The community’s involvement in place-based learning could also contribute to refining students’ skills, consequently fostering their entrepreneurship in the textile field. A self-study genre of action research was adopted. Data was gathered through document analysis, reflective journals and focus group interviews with conveniently sampled Zimbabwean textile technology teacher education students. Thematic analysis revealed that place-based learning is an effective pedagogy for developing skills that students could utilise to create income-generating projects. We conclude that place-based learning as a teaching-learning approach contributed to students learning how to design and manage the project as well as develop transversal skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and teamwork. We suggest that place-based learning be utilised in other comparable Home Economics-related subjects to enable the fostering of similar 21st-century skills and competencies, with the bonus of benefits for the communities in which it is implemented.