Teaching New Literacies and Inquiry: A Grassroots Effort to Bring About Educational Change in Kenya

Print-based literacy is no longer sufficient for the global digital age. However, distribution of the resources needed to learn new literacies is unequal. The authors describe a qualitative case study conducted with teachers in Kenya who participated in a professional development series on new literacies and inquiry. The professional development involved an inquiry-based literacy approach that is technology-rich and learner-centered. Three themes emerged from the data: shifting to learner-centered pedagogies: “I’m inspired to improve my teaching”; change is slow but coming: “We need to be empowered with more information about new technologies”; and strategies for teaching new literacies: “Creating is better than just talking.” The discussion focuses on the enduring challenges for educational transformation in Kenya coupled with the substantive changes that are being made by pioneering Kenyan educators. © 2020 International Literacy Association