Teachers’ conceptions of children’s learning in Northern Uganda: A phenomenographic study in a post-war context

This thesis presents the findings of an in-depth study that investigated the conceptions held by teachers in Northern Uganda concerning children's learning. Through the methodology of phenomenography and an interpretivist research paradigm, this study sought to understand the experiences of local teachers as they were described in interviews. Conceptions of children's learning were identified in the data analysis process, and these were organised into what are called categories of description. This process culminated in two main research outcomes. First, the categories of description were synthesised to holistically describe the phenomenon of teacher's conceptions of children's learning in Northern Uganda. This phenomenon was depicted in a mental model that describes the growth processes of children's learning. Second, this study has generated understandings about the effects of stress and trauma upon learning that are evident in the research context but also considered transferrable. These findings give considerable weight to the central role that teachers play in the neurological rehabilitation of children who have suffered the effects of stress or trauma. This study also makes strong assertions about the efficacy of phenomenography, the study of experience, in connecting psychological and sociological aspects of learning. Considering these findings together, it is evident that the quality of learning experiences provided by teachers is paramount to healthy psychological and sociological development in children.