Document Type

Article

Department

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Abstract

Inclusive and gender-responsive education is widely recognized as essential for equitable learning outcomes, yet limited empirical attention has been given to the role of teaching materials as practical instruments for advancing inclusion in foundational learning contexts. This paper examines how inclusive and gender-responsive teaching materials are developed, used, and sustained in early years and primary education, drawing on evidence from the Strengthening Education Systems East Africa (SESEA) project and the Foundations for Learning (F4L) longitudinal studies in East Africa. Using a qualitative synthesis of evaluation reports, classroom observations, and interviews, the study analyzes teachers’ understanding of inclusive materials, material adaptation in practice, pedagogical approaches supporting effective use, and institutional conditions influencing sustainability. Findings indicate that targeted teacher professional learning enabled a shift toward interactive, child-centered material use, including revision of gendered classroom examples and creative improvisation of literacy and numeracy materials in resource-constrained settings. Mentorship, peer learning, and reflective practices emerged as key enablers of consistent classroom application. However, persistent challenges related to institutional culture, the hidden curriculum, limited pedagogical integration of Information Communication Technology (ICT), and weak system-level embedding constrained sustainability. The study contributes by foregrounding teaching materials as a critical lever for inclusive and gender responsive education and highlighting the conditions necessary for sustaining impact beyond project cycles.

Publication (Name of Journal)

International Journal of Educational Administration and Policy Studies

DOI

10.5897/IJEAPS2025.0797

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

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