At Kasimizi Primary School in Namutumba, learning once felt like a rigid drill, facts memorised, not understood. Primary 5 pupils could chant definitions, yet when tested, only a handful could apply them. Lessons on Uganda’s physical features were especially lifeless, and misconceptions thrived. With 80 pupils in the classroom, Mr. Lukuma knew something had to change. After attending a school network meeting where he was introduced to the Think-Pair-Share strategy through STiR Education’s Teacher Changemaker Development programme, he was eager to put it into practice to spur curiosity, critical thinking, and active engagement among his learners. With this motivation, he walked into his classroom determined to make learning different.
One morning after assembly, he walked into class determined and wrote two words on the board, MOUNTAIN and SWAMP. “Think quietly,” he told them, “Which is a physical feature? Which drains water?” The room fell silent, even restless Tom thinking hard.
Then came the magic. “Pair up,” he instructed, handing out cards. Suddenly, whispers turned into debates: “Swamps are both-land that holds water!” “No, valleys are physical!” The classroom buzzed with reasoning and laughter as children taught each other. They were no longer memorising but rather making sense of concepts.
It was not all smooth. Some groups copied answers at first, but Mr. Lukuma kept reminding them: “Discuss first, then write.” Slowly, they owned the process. By term’s end, 82% nailed the section on physical features up from a dismal 35%. But the sweetest victory came outside class: pupils arguing in the yard about valleys and hills, their curiosity spilling beyond the blackboard.
Today, his classroom hums with life. The Think-Pair-Share approach did not just raise scores; it changed mindsets. Mr. Lukuma believes that the best teaching is not always about giving answers rather about creating space for discovery. When learners teach each other, that is when real understanding blooms.
Story of Mr. Robert Lukuma, Teacher at Kasimizi Primary School, Namutumba District
