ERIC Number: ED653148
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 254
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3827-6008-7
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Paternalism and Resistance: The Impact of Global Intervention on Teacher Training in Liberia
Daniel Henry Smith
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, School of Graduate Studies
Educational development in Liberia has been reliant on the funding and technical support of international organizations. Liberia, like many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, suffers the consequences of extractive colonialism and global capitalism. It has been plagued by political instability and civil war. The vulnerability of Liberia as a whole, and the Liberian education system in particular, makes the influence of international donors and agencies disproportionately powerful. My study aims to uncover the role of international organizations in educational development in Liberia and the implications of their involvement. To what extent has the involvement of international organizations fostered or suppressed Liberian voices in educational development in Liberia? The study provides a "Southern perspective" and postcolonial critique of the experience of global intervention in educational development in Liberia that can also inform understanding of Northern involvement in the Global South more broadly. The study gives voice to, and makes visible the perspectives and experiences of Liberian educators at all levels. Results from the study can be used to inform teacher training and professional development that aims to promote critical awareness regarding the necessity of the local communities, and the capacity of Liberian educators for innovation. In conjunction with postcolonial perspectives, I framed my study using the Vertical Case Study approach (Barlett & Vavrus, 2014; Vavrus, & Bartlett, 2009; Sensing, 2011) which provides a robust framework for investigating questions relating to how extra-local forces shape educational policy and practice. Drawing on content analysis of global and national policy documents; quantitative analysis of financial and administrative data from national agencies; and in-depth interview data from global, national and local administrators and educators, I examined the extent to which educational policy, teaching and curriculum in Liberia are shaped by global forces and the extent to which there is evidence of Liberians resistance to global norms in shaping policy and practice to reflect the historical, political, cultural and social realities of the Liberian context. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Educational Development, International Cooperation, Postcolonialism, Developing Nations, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Education, Faculty Development, Educational Policy, Instruction, Curriculum
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Liberia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A