My research addresses the problematic of improving teaching and learning in public primary and secondary education ion under resourced contexts. I address this through collaborating with education professionals to develop pedagogic innovations for engaging students in active learning. My scholarship critically debates international policy agendas that overdetermine education priorities in low income contexts.

Major contributions I have made to the field of international and comparative education include the development of a framework for conceptualising education quality (in collaboration with Leon Tikly) from a social justice perspective, which focuses on expanding learners’ valued capabilities.  I applied the framework to debate to critique ideas for a learning goal, pointing out its potential and limitations to enhance inclusion and relevance dimensions of education quality and to release the potential of professional teachers.

 I lead practical research projects that are impact on pedagogy in schools and teacher education institutions. The ongoing Language Supportive Teaching and Textbooks project involves five teacher education institutions in Tanzania and is introducing over 3000 trainee teachers to new pedagogies.  The first phase of this project developed textbooks for learners, transitioning from education in an African language to using English as the language of instruction.