We only use your email address to send you the newsletter and to see how many people are opening our emails. A full privacy policy can be viewed here. You can change your mind at any time and update your preferences or unsubscribe.

An adolescent girl in Kigali in Rwanda. Photo: Nathalie Bertrams/GAGE 2020

Teaching and learning for life skills development: Insights from Rwanda’s 12+ programme for adolescent girls

22.03.22 | Rwanda

Bodily integrity and freedom from violence | Economic empowerment | Education | Education and learning | Health, Nutrition and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) | Lifeskills | Psychosocial well-being | Voice and agency

Journal articles
Access journal article
Authors

Sophia D’Angelo Rachel Marcus and Ernest Ngabo

The development of life skills has been increasingly recognised in formal and non-formal education programmes as critical to enabling young people to flourish. Recent competency-based curricular reform reflects a growing consensus on the importance of developing a combination of socio-emotional, cognitive and practical skills to overcome contemporary social, environmental, and economic global challenges.This paper examines the pedagogical practices that develop such skills by drawing on lessons from Rwanda’s 12+ programme, a non-formal life skills programme for adolescent girls.Five insights are highlighted: structured teaching and learning materials; the use of dialogic teaching; experiential learning opportunities; the importance of safe spaces; and the engagement of mentors as role models. These ingredients of effective life skills led to the development of adolescent girls’ skills, knowledge, and attitudes.

Teacher education and ongoing professional development should focus on strengthening teachers’ capacity to use learner-centred, interactive methods, and to foster positive social relationships with and amongst learners.Suggested citationD’Angelo, S., Marcus, R., Ngabo, E. (2022) Teaching and learning for life skills development: Insights from Rwanda’s 12+ programme for adolescent girls’ Development Policy Review e12622 (https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.12622)

Related topics

Related publications
Download article
Journal articles
08.10.24
Measuring adolescent girls' agency
Voice and agency
Ethiopia
Read more
08.10.24 | Voice and agency | Journal articles | Ethiopia
Measuring adolescent girls' agency
Read more
Download article

Download policy brief
Policy briefs
08.10.24
How can adolescent and youth capabilities be supported in crises contexts? Evidence from urban Ethiopia
Across GAGE capabilities
Ethiopia
Read more
08.10.24 | Across GAGE capabilities | Policy briefs | Ethiopia
How can adolescent and youth capabilities be supported in crises contexts? Evidence from urban Ethiopia
Read more
Download policy brief

Download report
Reports
30.09.24
Ethiopian young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights: Evidence from GAGE Round 3
Health, Nutrition and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH)
Ethiopia
Read more
30.09.24 | Health, Nutrition and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) | Reports | Ethiopia
Ethiopian young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights: Evidence from GAGE Round 3
Read more
Download report