Since independence in 1962, the Medium of Instruction (MOI) in the Rwanda education system has shifted multiple times. In 2008, a cabinet resolution from the Rwandan Ministry of Education announced a shift to English as the language of instruction from lower primary school onwards (Government of Rwanda, 2008; MINEDUC, 2019). This transition has posed significant challenges for both teachers and learners due to limited English proficiency (Sibomana, 2022). For example, only 38% of primary school teachers met the required English standard for teaching in 2018 (World Bank, 2018). Likewise, nearly 90% of grade 3 students have been found unable to read and understand a grade-level text in English (UNICEF, 2014). Consequently, Kinyarwanda remains the predominant language used in classroom interactions (UNESCO, 2022). A recent situational analysis concluded that accelerated improvement in teachers’ English proficiency is needed to enable teachers to effectively support learning in the official MOI (UNICEF, 2024). The 2024 Foundational Learning Strategy also highlights that teachers need ‘sufficient fluency in English, good subject matter knowledge, continuing professional development and support, and access to resources’ (MINEDUC, 2024: 8).

In 2023, the British Council launched the Secondary Teachers’ English Language Improvement Rwanda programme (STELIR), funded by the Mastercard Foundation and implemented with the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB). STELIR aims to strengthen the English language proficiency of both in-service and pre-service teachers across all subjects through blended learning, including: intensive face-to-face sessions led by English Teacher Trainers, online sessions (including self-study and live sessions on Webex) led by international e-trainers and eTeacher/Moderators, and school-based professional development sessions supported by school-based mentors (British Council, 2024).

In 2024, Ecctis was commissioned to assess the procedural implementation quality of STELIR’s online component through an equity and inclusion lens. The study explored in-service and pre-service teachers’ experiences of participating in STELIR’s online provision, with particular attention to in-service and pre-service women teachers and in-service teachers with disabilities. A focus on teachers with visual impairments, was chosen since visual impairment is the most prevalent disability type in Rwanda (NISR, 2023). The analysis was informed by Moser’s (1993) gendered triple‑role framework and Oliver’s (2004) social model of disability, enabling the study to examine teachers’ experiences through both gender and disability perspectives.

Given that little is still known about how different groups of teachers – particularly women teachers and teachers with visual impairments – experience blended CPD models, despite their growing use in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and beyond, this study contributes to the emerging literature on equity and inclusion in digital learning environments. Our presentation will report and analyse key themes emerging from interviews, focus groups, and surveys with these groups, drawing lessons for future research, programme design, and practice. In total, 110 participants were engaged through interviews and focus groups, alongside 192 participants who contributed via online and paper surveys. By integrating gender and disability frameworks into an evaluation of blended CPD in a low-resource setting, the study offers one of the few empirically grounded analyses of digital teacher professional development in SSA that foregrounds equity and inclusion.

The study centred around four research questions:
1. What barriers do women teachers and teachers with visual impairments face in participating in blended CPD, and how can these best be addressed?
2. What is the perceived quality and value of the STELIR blended CPD experience, including the extent to which all participants are treated equitably?
3. In a culture where face-to-face interaction is preferred, what effect does the introduction of remote forms of learning have on engagement in CPD programmes? How well do teachers, particularly women teachers and teachers with visual impairments, adjust to this new learning modality?

The methodology comprised two components: a narrative literature review and a process evaluation. The literature review enabled a flexible critical analysis and synthesis of a diverse body of academic and grey literature (including policy documents) on blended learning (Sukhera, 2022) and examined Rwanda’s language-in-education policies to situate the study within its wider context. The process evaluation explored the procedural implementation quality of STELIR’s online stage through extensive stakeholder engagement. Data collection included one interview and 14 focus groups with in-service teachers (including in-service women teachers and teachers with visual impairments), three focus groups with eTeacher/Moderators and three focus groups with pre-service teachers, 14 observations of recorded live Webex sessions, a paper-based survey with in-service teachers (74 responses), and an online survey with pre-service teachers (117 responses). These activities examined participant experiences of STELIR’s online component, with particular attention to equity and inclusion. Data collection was undertaken by Ecctis researchers in partnership with the Faculty of Education at the Catholic University of Rwanda. Qualitative data were analysed by two Ecctis researchers using thematic analysis, involving coding, extraction of key themes, and synthesis of findings. An inductive approach was adopted, allowing themes to emerge organically from the data and supporting the identification of both thematic commonalities and differences across participants’ responses (Braun & Clarke, 2012). Gender and disability studies theory informed the analysis. In particular, Moser’s (1993) triple-role framework – productive, reproductive, and community roles – was used to explore the gendered dimensions of participation in STELIR’s online activities (Moser, 1993). Oliver’s (2004) social model of disability guided the analysis of data from teachers with visual impairments and eTeacher/Moderators, highlighting how structural and environmental barriers shaped teachers with visual impairments’ experiences of online training.

The study revealed distinct differences in how in-service and pre-service women teachers and in-service teachers with visual impairments experienced STELIR’s blended learning model. Although both groups generally appreciated blended learning, women teachers preferred face-to-face sessions, whereas teachers with visual impairments favoured online ones. Contrary to what might have been expected, the flexibility afforded by online learning did not generally make engagement easier for women teachers; instead, it often unintentionally exacerbated their time poverty. Equally noteworthy was that, despite facing accessibility challenges, teachers with visual impairments preferred online training, reporting a greater sense of equal treatment by peers compared to face-to-face environments. These findings highlight the limitations of one-size-fits-all approaches to training design, which often neglect the needs and preferences of different participants, and underscore the need to create equitable and inclusive blended learning environments by adapting to the needs and preferences of different groups, thereby enhancing access and participation. The presentation will explore these findings – organised into two case studies focusing on women teachers and teachers with visual impairments, respectively – situating them within the relevant theoretical frameworks and literature. Cross-case findings and key implications for teacher training programme designers and trainers will also be discussed. Although the study engaged a relatively small sample, the findings call for the need for a wider reflection on inclusive practices in online CPD for teachers, both in SSA and in other contexts, including Europe. Ensuring meaningful participation requires working closely with teacher participants to understand their preferences and tailor provision to their needs. Finally, if training providers seek to go beyond gender and disability awareness towards transformational inclusion, a deeper exploration of the system-level challenges faced by women teachers and teachers with visual impairments is required to challenge current social and cultural structures and deep-rooted perceptions around gender and disability.

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