Ikamva Labantu: Teachers Complete the Mediational Teaching Programme

Teachers Complete the Mediational Teaching Programme

After 11 weeks of training and practical application, teachers from Ikamva Labantu completed the Basic Concepts Foundation’s Mediated Learning Training & Practicum on 5 October 2026. The programme combined theory, practical sessions and classroom application, focusing on language development, concept development, cognitive tools and mediating through play.

The final session gave teachers an opportunity to present and reflect on activities they had implemented. Their feedback highlighted a developing shift in the way they work with children.

One teacher described the change simply:

“Teaching and mediating is not the same.” Another said, “I facilitate now… ask open ended questions to uncover the richness of language,” while another reflected that she had moved from “telling” to “asking.”

Teachers also spoke about using language throughout the day, rather than only during planned activities. One participant said, “Language is used all day long,” while another described becoming more involved with children during free play and developing “a better relationship with them not just a teacher relationship.”

The final feedback was strongly positive. Of the 12 participants who completed the evaluation, 100% rated the programme’s overall relevance and usefulness either 4 or 5 out of 5, with 91.7% giving it the highest rating. Practical sessions received similarly strong ratings, with 100% rating them 4 or 5.

An especially encouraging outcome was the interest expressed in incorporating Mediational Teaching into Ikamva Labantu’s wider practitioner-development work. One participant recommended that the approach be integrated with Persona Doll training, while others indicated that they would use the knowledge when supporting practitioners.