Kibbie Naidoo

Kibbie Naidoo co-ordinates the Industrial and Working Life Programme at UKZN which is aimed at working adults. She is passionate about developing methods of co-learning with them. Kibbie thinks Durban is a fascinating place and that no two experience of it are the same. During her workshops with adult learners she indulges her fascination with Durban by learning more about it through the stories of participants.

In her chapter, Relinquishing my authority as teacher, Kibbie argues for student-centred teaching pedagogies that shift power from teacher to students. This makes the teacher a co-learner and validates student experience and knowledge as crucial bases for education. Kibbie describes how she tried to do this with political activists and trade unionists—adult learners—attending an Access course for admission to a university degree course. They were surprised to enter a classroom where all the usual signifiers of teacher authority—strategically placed tables and chairs, teacher at the ‘front’—were absent. In fact there were no chairs and tables, only cushions. Kibbie reflects on how she tried to act as co-learner, discussing the issues students broached when generating knowledge themselves. The students appreciated working as a group rather than as individuals expected to take down notes or write private essays (as is traditional).

Reference:
Naidoo, Kibbie. 'Developing transformative learning approaches and relinquishing my authority as teacher', in Rob Pattman and Sultan Khan (Eds.), Undressing Durban (Durban: Madiba Press, 2007), pp. 407-412.