Teaching without training : Motivations and Local Perceptions of Young Voluntourists in Pre- and Primary Schools in Zambia

Sammanfattning

Voluntourism has become a popular form of volunteering and traveling, especially among young people from the global north. Most of the existing literature focuses on the perspectives and motivations of these volunteers, while the perspectives of the host communities are less explored. This thesis examines the perspectives of both the volunteers and the teachers at pre- and primary schools in Zambia. This is to understand how voluntourism is experienced in the environment of the classrooms. The research is based on survey data collected from volunteers and teachers and is analysed by through two theoretical frameworks: post-development theory and Empowerment theory. The findings show that volunteers are mainly motivated by personal growth, cultural exchange, and the desire to help. These motivations are shaped through the narrative that is presented by volunteer organizations. However, the data revealed a gap between expectations and realities. Teachers are appreciative of some of the volunteers nonetheless, as the volunteers seem excited to take over small tasks. At the same time, the teachers do emphasize that the lack of preparation and qualifications of some of the volunteers can be a problem in the classroom environment. Post-development theory helps to explain how the development discourse has shaped the volunteers’ expectations and how it reinforced the global power structures between the global south and the global north. Empowerment theory shows that the teachers retain agency and authority within the classroom, although they do not have the same influence outside of it. Their influence on the organization of voluntourism programs are limited. Findings suggests that better coordination between the organizations and schools, stronger preparation, requirements for qualifications, and clearer role definitions would improve the alignments between the volunteers expectations and the classroom realities, and stop the reinforcement of the global power structures.