Making teacher education relevant for students in 21st century Africa requires that students should be meaningfully engage in learner centred education (activity based learning), for them to acquire useful and productive learning. This type of learning entails: engaging the students with activities that will lead them to deeper learning. The activities need to engage them: cognitively, intellectually, socially and behaviorally. 

Intellectually they will be deeply involved in the activity and make effort to understand and master the skills. Emotionally they will be exhibiting high interest, curiosity and positive attitude to learn. Behavioral engagement occurs when they exhibit on-the-task behavior, including persistence with challenging tasks, asking questions and requesting for help. Social engagement is involvement in collaboration and group activities. 

The classroom should be lively with instructional strategies that actively engage the students in deeper learning, the teacher should bridge the gap between 'knowing and doing' to improve students learning outcomes. The teacher need to make the lesson interesting and pleasant in a way that it attracts students attention and interest. He/she will be guiding and directing the students on the learning activity. The teacher should provide: opportunities for collaboration among students, resource and space necessary for students to develop their creative and critical thinking skills through inquiry, imagination and innovation; showcase and celebrate good practices and excellent work. 

The students need to be motivated (to push them) and they should have voice, so that there will be authenticity in the learning.