Esther Kirabo

Personal info 

Profession:

Teacher Educator for primary teachers.

Academic profile:

Master of Education (M.ED) at Aga Khan University, IED,EA, Dar es Salam, Tanzania, Bachelor of Teacher Education (BTE), Diploma Teacher Education (DTE) and Grade III all from Kyambogo University, Kampala (majoring in Mathematics Education in all the above).

Experience:

The passion I have for mathematics and students’ mathematics learning has compelled me to crave for knowledge up to this level. I first taught in primary schools for 12 years after Grade III training in 1993 and then a tutor for mathematics education in Buhungiro and Bishop Stuart Primary Teachers’ Colleges (PTCs) from 2004-2017 and 2018-2022 respectively.

My job as a teacher educator involves teaching mathematics and mathematics education to pre-service teacher trainees, supervising teacher trainees on school practice, and helping teachers in primary schools in best approaches of teaching mathematics as part of the outreach activities of the PTCs through workshops and individual school visits.

Inspiration:

Continuation of research into mathematics instruction and reaching out to primary teachers providing support in the best practices in teaching mathematics in primary classes. If I had an opportunity of interacting with the primary mathematics curriculum designers, I would love to advise that they prepare a curriculum whose content is in problem contexts, focused to developing higher order thinking skills that match with the 21st century work demands.

Project info 

Affiliation:

Ph.D program, Makerere University

Field:

Mathematics Education

Research project:

The effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model in teaching geometry for enhancing higher- order thinking skills (HOTs) among primary teacher trainees in one of the Primary Teacher Training Institutions (PTTIs) in Western Uganda.

Purpose of the study:

The purpose of the study will be to explore the contribution of PBL model in teaching geometry for the enhancement of HOTS among primary teacher trainees in one of the PTTIs of western Uganda.

Specific objectives of the study:

1. To examine the essential elements of PBL model in the teaching of geometry for enhancement of HOTS among primary teacher trainees in one of the TTIs of western Uganda.

2. To identify the best practices of implementing PBL model in the teaching of geometry for enhancement of HOTS among primary teacher trainees in one of the TTIs of western Uganda.

3. To determine the differences in HOTS between teacher trainees taught geometry using PBL and those taught geometry using traditional teaching methods in one of the TTIs of western Uganda.

Research questions:

1. What are the essential elements of PBL model in the teaching of geometry for enhancement of HOTS among primary teacher trainees in one of the TTIs of western Uganda?

2. What are the best practices of implementing PBL model in the teaching of geometry for enhancement of HOTS among primary teacher trainees in one of the TTIs of western Uganda?

3. What differences are there between in HOTS between teacher trainees taught geometry using PBL and those taught geometry using traditional teaching methods in one of the TTIs of western Uganda?

Research methodology:

The study will use mixed methods design with a post positivist lens through which the research will be approached. In essence, the researcher will incorporate both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect, analyze and present findings in a single study. The study will be started with a literature review to gain an understanding of the effectiveness of Problem-based (PBL) in teaching geometry, its contribution in development of students’ higher order thinking skills as well as determining the difference in skills between students taught geometry using PBL model and those taught in traditional settings.