Ursula Osteneck

Experiences of Kenyan Women: Involved in an International Curriculum Development Project Ursula Osteneck

In this study the researcher explored what participation was like for Kenyan women involved in an international curriculum development project, considering important aspects of international curriculum development projects that have been neglected in the research literature. The main research purpose was to understand the women's experiences in a Canadian-sponsored post-secondary education curriculum development project. In addition the research investigated the conflicts, tensions, and contradictions the women experienced between their previous ways of learning and their workshop experiences. Finally, the researcher addresses what could be done to mitigate contradictions generated by the project implementation. The study documented power relationships, issues of control and issues of role functionality. The study shares the women's stories about the experiences that they had during and after the workshop situations, and how they interpreted these experiences. The researcher generated information for proposal writers and project leaders to make appropriate decisions for programming that includes cultural and indigenous ways of knowing, learning and dissemination of knowledge.