Teacher Professional Development

Guide to Using the Electronic System for Early Grades.

Мероприятия по обучению учителей для программ структурированной педагогики (СП), описание которых приводится в Руководстве 5, имеют важное значение для внедрения новых методов и подходов, ознакомления учителей с новыми материалами, а также их подготовки к испытанию этих новых подходов в своей педагогической практике. Однако одноразовое проведение обучения или даже серия отдельных тренингов, как правило, не приводит к значительным изменениям в практике учителей. После проведения мероприятий по обучению учителей, целенаправленная постоянная поддержка учителей (т.е. наставничество извне или внутри школы, сообщества учителей-практиков, дистанционная поддержка с помощью цифровых технологий) помогает обеспечить надлежащее использование учителями материалов, а также повышает точность их применения. Постоянная поддержка также способствует повышению мотивации учителей к внедрению новых методов, укрепляя их уверенность в том, что они будут применять их на практике, поскольку последующая деятельность со стороны директоров школ или должностных лиц, занимающихся вопросами образования, свидетельствует об инициативности и ожидаемых результатах в отношении реализации новых практик; а также потому, что учителя зачастую чувствуют себя более сплоченными и вдохновленными, когда видят улучшение академической успеваемости своих учащихся.

После разработки руководства для учителя и учебников для учащихся, следующим шагом является подготовить учителей использовать предлагаемые новые материалы в своих классах. Этого можно достичь посредством повышения квалификации, , при этом обучение далее должно сопровождаться постоянной методической поддержкой учителей. Настоящее руководство посвящено мероприятиям по обучению учителей новому подходу к преподаванию. В руководстве 6 рассказывается о поддержке, которая должна быть оказана учителям после завершения курса обучения.

The conventional ways that new pedagogies are taught and supported in low- and middle-income countries rarely leverage the social networks and relationships that are paramount for individuals to shift their beliefs and make positive decisions about adopting new methodologies, and for them to sustain these behavior changes in the long run. The purpose of this study was to apply social network analysis (SNA) and qualitative inquiry to understand the composition and structure of primary school teacher social networks to inform policy basic education programming about how to improve the diffusion and support for implementation of new pedagogies through these social networks. This study used a mixed model design to study the compositional and structural properties of teacher social networks in sub-district administrative areas or “wards” in Tanzania. Using data from completed socio-metric inventories, separate teacher social networks were generated for Mbawala, Madimba, Milangominne, and Nitekela wards in the Mtwara Region of Tanzania. Researchers used SNA to calculate quantitative measurements and generate teacher sociograms (i.e., network graphs) for each of the ward-level teacher social networks. We combined these data with data from teacher informant interviews that described the content, context, and benefit of educators’ interactions in the different wards and to help explain the SNA findings.

The Uzbekistan Education for Excellence Program (the Program), funded by the United States Agency for International Development, designed the teacher professional development (TPD) effectiveness study to assess the effectiveness of the Program’s TPD approach in terms of teachers’ satisfaction of learning events, their acquisition of knowledge and skills, their shift in self-efficacy, possible changes in teacher beliefs about new teaching approaches, and to what extent teachers received the necessary support at the administrative and school levels. The Program also used quality assurance data derived from the study to minimize dilution effects of the cascade approach and to inform and adapt the ongoing TPD activities as needed.

The Uzbekistan Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MoPSE) has embarked upon an ambitious reform agenda to bring the Uzbek public education system in line with twenty-first century international standards and skills. This agenda is enshrined in several presidential decrees.1 The reform agenda includes numerous initiatives, including developing a new national curriculum framework and a laser focus on increasing information and communication technology and English as a foreign language skills through the IT Nation and English-Speaking Nation initiatives. Reform efforts also include participating for the first time in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) in 2021 and in the Program for International Student Assessment in 2022 (PISA). MoPSE has committed to reaching a PIRLS ranking of 30 or higher by 2030, but reform takes time and challenges persist. At the onset of the Uzbekistan Education for Excellence Program (UEEP), the teaching culture in many schools in Uzbekistan was still quite teacher-centric, with only a modicum of observable student-centered instructional strategies promoting critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Basic reading and mathematics scores were within the international mean, but students struggled with reading comprehension and more complex mathematics.

The goal of this study was to learn whether and how teachers in grades 2 and 4 were using the new ULA and Mathematics TG and STBs and applying the SCSs therein. The study consisted of two phases. The Program used Phase 1 results and ensuing recommendations to inform the development and finalization of materials and ongoing TPD efforts. Phase 2 results served to determine whether teachers became more proficient over time in their application of the SCSs embedded in the TGs.

Educators are the critical link between learning materials and students. Their approach to instruction influences learning and classroom dynamics every day. While the Government of Uzbekistan has made significant investments in regular professional development opportunities for teachers, the trainings reinforced a teachercentered instruction style. In the classroom, teachers struggled to practically address diverse student needs. While some students excelled in this environment, many fell behind.

To improve the quality of instruction and learning, a challenge that many ministries must confront, is the need to provide teacher professional development at scale. Uzbekistan has approximately 10,104 schools, 502,687 teachers, and 6,336, 933 students.2 In 2022, when MoPSE rolled out the new EFL teacher and student books, it struggled to reach and train all teachers.

Between June 2021, and May 2022, RAMP, in coordination with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and in collaboration with INTEGRATED, implemented the Let’s Live in Harmony (LLH) pilot program based on the LLH initiative funded by UNICEF in 2018-2019. This initiative aimed to establish a positive learning environment for students across 96 Double Shifting Schools (DSSs) in Jordan. The study addressed educational challenges faced by underprivileged students in Jordan, particularly those in double-shift public schools with a mix of Jordanian and Syrian students. At the beginning of the school semester in 2021, 1310 tablets were updated with the Ministry of Education (MoE)-approved LLH content material application. These tablets were strategically distributed among the 96 DSSs for students in Grades 1 to 3, with the allocation based on the number of students in each class to ensure equitable access to resources. The study employed tablets with multimedia content to facilitate interactive learning. Achievements encompassed teacher training, updated materials, curriculum alignment, and enhanced program delivery. These initiatives addressed challenges posed by refugees and the pandemic, leading to improvements in reading fluency, comprehension, and literacy. The study underscored the significance of adaptable educational solutions. The LLH activities were introduced to supervisors through a WhatsApp group to facilitate interactive communication. Integrated into the curriculum, the activities aimed to enhance Arabic literacy for grades 1-3. MOE supervisors ensured fidelity through observations and feedback. Additionally, the study focused on institutionalizing LLH within the MOE, involving various departments and the School and Directorate Development Program (SDDP). Lessons learned included role clarification, formal adoption, capacity building, and effective communication strategies for integration. Findings highlighted LLH's potential impact on reading skills and emphasized the need for ongoing support. Recommendations encompassed further capacity-building, recognition, incentives, and improved communication strategies between schools and the MOE.