









































Global Journal of  Transformative Education (2020) Vol 2  
DOI 10.14434/gjte.v2i1.31758

Open Access

Published by the Global Insitutute of Transformative Education (http://www.gite.education)
© Coronel-Molina & Ndemanu, 2020. Open Access This journal is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons 
Attribution NonCommercial NonDerivative 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), 
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction without revision in any non-commercial medium, provided 
you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license,

Transformative Education from Multiple Perspectives: Second 
Volume of the Global Journal of Transformative Education

Serafín M. Coronel-Molina1 & Michael T. Ndemanu2, Editors-in-Chief

Full listing of authors and contacts can be 
found at the end of this article.

The Global Journal of Transformative Education 
(GJTE) is an open-source, peer-reviewed journal de-
signed to share high impact educational research and 
practical applications germane to transformative edu-
cation worldwide. GJTE publishes academic articles on 
high impact practices in the area of pedagogy, curricu-
lum, learning environment, educational policy, instruc-
tional materials, and reviews of educational resources 
that support transformative teaching and learning in 
PK-20 institutions and adult education programs. GJTE 
is focused on sharing educational research and re-
search-based practices with all stakeholders in the de-
sign and implementation of transformative education. 
Articles are offered as resources for teacher educators, 
teachers, school leaders, policy makers, community 
groups, and academic researchers. Content may include 
research articles, lesson plan ideas, assessment and 
management strategies, book reviews, and discussions 
about curriculum and connections between schools 
and communities that are geared toward maximiz-
ing educational outcomes for learners. It is becoming 
increasingly clear that traditional educational models 
are no longer sufficient to benefit vast sectors of the 
world’s population; hence the need for new, transfor-
mative education models. And it will take transforma-
tive research to light the way to these new educational 
paradigms.

Most of the articles published in this second volume 
of GJTE were initially reviewed and accepted for pre-
sentation at the 2020 World Conference on Transfor-
mative Education (WCTE) in Cape Coast, Ghana, under 
the theme, “The Future of Africa and the Role of Trans-
formative Education.” The conference was postponed to 
a later date due to COVID-19. A call for papers was then 
sent out for to the would-be conference participants to

submit their manuscripts to be considered for publica-
tion in the second volume of GJTE. All the submissions 
underwent a rigorous double-blind peer-reviewed 
process prior to being accepted for publication. Out of 
several manuscripts submitted, eight were found to 
meet the standards and rigors of transformative edu-
cation ideals as enunciated on our website, www.gite.
education

This volume is composed of eight articles that delve 
into transformative education from multiple perspec-
tives. They focus on diverse topics such as learning 
spaces, science curriculum and pedagogy, schooling 
and pedagogy, school and democracy, health education, 
geography of education, and education and develop-
ment. The articles included in this volume cover four 
geographical locations which include Kenya, Ghana, 
Nigeria, and Cameroon. The contributions are relevant 
to scholars, educators, practitioners, educational poli-
cymakers, graduate students, governmental and non-
governmental organizations, academic institutions, and 
grassroots organizations interested in transformative 
education across the globe. 

The first article, titled “Implications of Outdoor En-
vironment on Children’s Learning Experiences in Public 
Preschools in Borabu Sub-County, Kenya” is authored 
by G. N. Ayaga and E. K. Okaya. Their research was im-
pelled by the evident failure of the current competen-
cy-based learning paradigm in Kenya, particularly for 
early childhood learners. It is known that environmen-
tal quality is key to enhancing learning, so they set out 
to investigate the implications of an outdoor environ-
ment on children’s learning experiences in public pre-
schools. They found that a rich outdoor environment 
proved beneficial to preschoolers’ learning experiences 
and development of locomotor and rhythmic movement 
abilities, as well as to their general academic achieve-
ment and development of various social, emotional and

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Coronel-Molina & Ndemanu, Transformative Education from Multiple Perspectives 2

cognitive skills. Based on the findings of their study, the 
authors make recommendations for the incorporation 
of outdoor play in the preschool curriculum. 

The second article, “Effect of Hands-on Science 
Activities on Ghanaian Student Learning, Attitudes, 
and Career Interest: A Preliminary Control Study” by H. 
Beem, focuses on junior high school-aged students in 
Ghana and their participation in STEM-focused classes. 
More specifically, it examines the effect of training the 
teachers of these students to employ hands-on activi-
ties using low-cost, locally available resources on stu-
dent learning outcomes, attitudes towards learning sci-
ence, and interest in STEM majors or careers. Although 
objective results (e.g., exam scores) were mixed across 
schools, more subjective measures, such as students’ 
engagement in class and enjoyment of science, im-
proved significantly. These effects were disproportion-
ately visible among females, who experienced decidedly 
greater learning gains, increases in engagement, and a 
shift in interest towards STEM majors and careers than 
their male counterparts.

T. J. McConnell and B. Giorgio-Booher coauthored 
the third article, “Collaborative Teams for Self-Publish-
ing: A Model for Creating Locally Relevant Educational 
Books.” Realizing that the learning materials are still 
mostly Eurocentric and not culturally responsive in 
many developing countries, these two authors share 
a model used to develop a series of books called Con-
servation Tales. They developed these books, which 
were designed to make education more relevant and 
accessible for children, in collaboration with university 
faculty, students, and scientists, and leveraged the skills 
of artists, writers, and content experts from among 
these groups to provide a rich learning experiences 
for readers while also offering affordable options for 
self-publishing. 

In the article, “Classroom Democracy and Learning 
Outcomes in Primary Schools in Francophone Africa,” 
A. M. Njong offers a look at existing data on student 
performance and indicators of classroom democracy 
to evaluate the impact of democratic practices in the 
classroom on learning outcomes. The results show the 
importance of both teachers and parents in the process 
of children internalizing democracy in the classroom, 
and further highlight the importance of preserving and 
promoting indigenous cultural values, because they 
facilitate learning achievements.

With respect to health education, E. N. Nwagu au-
thored “Transformative Learning Potentials of Trainee 
Health Workers in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.” In this

article, she focuses on health workers in training and 
the impact of transformative learning and demograph-
ic characteristics on their absorption of the material. 
This was a descriptive study based on self-reporting 
by the respondents (learners). Participants indicat-
ed a high degree of transformative learning, with the 
most frequently selected learning components being 
field trips and presentations. Students felt that such 
hands-on activities gave them a better understanding of 
health, illness, and health care. The study demonstrated 
the importance of discussion and debate in developing 
critical reflection among learners.

In current educational research, the geography 
of education analyzes the disparity of educational 
outcomes based on the geographical location of the 
schools students attend. The urban and rural schools 
in Ghana exhibit that disparity. M. K. Nyatsikor, W. K. 
Abroampa, K. Esai-Donkoh examine the difference 
between rural and urban environments in “The Impact 
of School Locale on Pupils’ Competencies in Selected 
Subjects: Does It Matter More for Specific Regions in 
Ghana?” They were specifically interested in student 
competency on English and Mathematics tests at the 
primary level. Results showed statistically significant 
differences in achievement between rural and urban 
school pupils both nationally and regionally, with urban 
schoolchildren outperforming rural ones on both tests. 
Rural school children in the Eastern Region were the 
most disadvantaged. The paradigm flipped in Northern 
Region, where rural schoolchildren achieved higher av-
erage scores than their urban peers. This would suggest 
that it makes a significant difference in which part of 
the country a child attends school, and leads to the con-
clusion that it is necessary for resources for schools and 
communities to be equitably distributed and effectively 
utilized in order to provide quality inclusive education 
for all pupils.

In the next article, B. O. Nyatuka discusses “Educa-
tion for Sustainable Development in Kenya: Rhetoric 
and Reality in Basic Education.” The importance of 
sustainable development is becoming increasingly 
clear, and the role of education in forming responsible 
global citizens to believe in and engage in such prac-
tices cannot be overlooked. The ultimate goal of such 
education is to foster ideal policies and practices for 
enhancing the social, economic, and ecological viability 
of present and future generations. This article offers a 
review of research on the importance of Education for 
Sustainable Development (ESD), reflecting on its utility 
for realizing the objectives of Kenya’s Competency-

Global Journal of Transformative Education (2020) Vol 2



Coronel-Molina & Ndemanu, Transformative Education from Multiple Perspectives 3

Global Journal of Transformative Education (2020) Vol 2

Based Curriculum (CBC), particularly with regard to the 
acquisition of core competencies like creativity, prob-
lem-solving, and self-efficacy. The author presents some 
of the challenges that ESD implementation faces, as well 
as some of the pertinent pedagogical theories and their 
implications, and relevant legal and policy frameworks.

In the final article, “Transformational Leadership 
and Wealth Creation in Educational Organizations: The 
Case of Higher Education in Cameroon,” P. P. Teneng 
explores the education industry and the influx of edu-
cational subsidiary enterprises created by graduates 
who have been unable to find jobs upon graduation. 
Most of these enterprises end up failing within five 
years. This raises the question of what prevents these 
small- and medium-sized education businesses from 
thriving, which is the question Teneng seeks to answer 
in this survey study of 210 small and medium-sized 
educational firms. The findings suggest that a lack of 
transformational leadership, due in large part to a lack 
of leadership or wealth creation education, is a major 
contributor to the failure of these businesses. The au-
thor makes recommendations for transformational and 
strategic leadership education to be a required part of 
higher education curricula, to introduce students to the 
business world through meaningful partnerships and 
quality entrepreneurship courses.

Invitation to Prospective Authors
We invite authors keen on transformative education 

from all walks of life to consider GJTE as an avenue for 
dissemination of their ideas germane to curriculum and 
teaching. GJTE accepts submissions for its Open Call, 
with no deadlines for submissions, and no publishing 
fees for authors. The journal’s website includes Author 
Guidelines to help prospective authors with formatting 
specifications, and an online Submissions system to 
help with the submission, review and editing process. 
New authors are invited to register in the system. GJTE 
also invites readers to join our Editorial Board of Re-
viewers by selecting the “reviewer” role and indicating 
content expertise.

Acknowledgments
The Global Journal of Transformative Education 

(GJTE) is a singular publication venue since its main 
objective is to share educational research and re-
search-based practices on transformative education 
from local and global perspectives. Despite the great 
amount of time and effort we have invested in the con-
ceptualization, development, implementation, produc-
tion, and publication of this second volume, we could 
not have done all this by ourselves. The publication of 
this volume is the result of the hard work and dedica-
tion of many people. First of all, our profound gratitude 
goes to the Global Institute for Transformative Educa-
tion (GITE) and its founding members for their sus-
tained sponsorship to make this volume happen. We are 
deeply thankful to Tom J. McConnell, who provided us 
with invaluable assistance in his role as Managing Ed-
itor, taking care of the daily operations of GJTE. We are 
also grateful to our colleagues who serve on the Edito-
rial Board, as well as to institutions, friends, colleagues, 
and social media networks from around the world for 
their help in publicizing the GJTE website and Facebook 
page widely. 

We would also like to thank all the contributors to 
this second volume for choosing GJTE to publish their 
work. Many thanks to IUScholarWorks for hosting 
GJTE’s website. Without the generous assistance and 
contribution of all these great people and institutions, 
GJTE would never have become a reality.  

We are equally grateful to our colleagues worldwide 
who spent significant number of hours reviewing the 
papers. We thank them for their time and diligence in 
the review process. We also owe an immense debt of 
gratitude to Fred Bay for his continuous generous dona-
tions to GITE for transformative education conferences, 
which have been the springboard of GJTE. We wish him 
a long life. 

1Serafín M. Coronel-Molina (scoronel@indiana.edu) is an 
Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and 
Instruction at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 
USA.

Authors

2Michael T. Ndemanu (mtndemanu@bsu.edu) is an 
Associate Professor of Education in the Department of 
Educational Studies at Ball State University, Muncie, 
Indiana, USA.

GJTE is published by the 
Global Insitutute of Transformative Education 

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