TEACHER EDUCATION

Address at 8th International Policy Dialogue Forum, 15-17 March 2016, Mexico City, Mexico15th march 2016

Yusuf Sayed, Centre for International Teacher Education, CPUT, SA & University of Sussex, UK

“The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers” (Barber and Mourshed, 2007:19) useful but only partly true

Teachers account for about 75% of education budgets “a number of studies have found that teacher effectiveness is one

of the most important school-based predictors of student learning after home background. In the classrooms of the most effective teachers, students from disadvantaged backgrounds learn at the same rate as those from advantaged backgrounds (Hamre & Pianta, 2005)

Teachers tend to be held in high esteem at socio-cultural level by the local communities.

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Centre for International Teacher Education

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• 17 Sustainable Development Goals

with

• 169 associated targets which are ‘integrated and indivisible…’

and

• with proposed 229 global Indicators (149 “green”, 80 “grey” (to be decided)

• 11 global education indicators

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Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning

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Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies

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The Education Targets

4.1 By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning Outcomes4.2 By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education 4.3 By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university 4.4 By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship4.5By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations 4.6 By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy

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4.7 By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’ contribution to sustainable development4.A Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all4b By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries 4c By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States

The policy recommendations in the 2030 Incheon Declaration and Education Framework for Action (UNESCO, 2015) highlight the central roles of teachers succinctly as;

… Teachers are the key to achieving all of the Education 2030 agenda… Teacher policies and regulations should be in place to ensure that teachers and educators are empowered, adequately recruited and remunerated, well trained, professionally qualified, motivated, equitably and efficiently deployed across the whole education system, and supported within well-resourced, efficient and effectively governed systems …… Teachers also have socio-economic and political rights, including the right to seek decent working conditions and adequate remuneration. Governments should make teaching an attractive, first-choice profession with continuing training and development by improving teachers’ professional status, working conditions and support, and should strengthen policy dialogue mechanisms with teacher organizations.

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Education consultations

HLP UNESCO (MUSCAT) SDG

Equitable lifelong education requires attention to enabling conditions – conducive learning environments with the proper and necessary infrastructure; the presence of sufficient numbers of trained and motivated teachers; and participatory governance structures that empower parents and local communities to be effectively involved in school decision making

The quality of

education in all

countries depends on

having a sufficient

number of motived

teachers, well trained

and possessing strong

subject-area

knowledge.

By 2030, all governments ensure that all learners are taught by qualified, professionally-trained, motivated and well-supported teachers.

By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing states

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• Incheon Declaration:

“We will ensure that teachers and educators are empowered, adequately recruited, well-trained, professionally qualified, motivated and supported within well-resourced, efficient and effectively governed systems”.

THE CHALLENGE

A turn to quality, learning and teachers but limited?

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Learning within an expanded development agenda

• Learning central but teacher focus weakened.• Progressive and ambitious – too ambitious?• Equity closely linked to learning. • No clear elaboration of key aspects: effective relevant

learning outcomes; adults reach a proficiency level in literacy and numeracy …

• Learning needs to be measured and tracked globally, with a focus on the basics of literacy and numeracy. – ‘what gets measured, gets done’ and what’s funded,

gets done but is is valued and meaningful?

TEACHER EDUCATION

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The agency of teachers

Teachers in Public, Policy & Research Discourses•Teachers as part of the problem (the blame game) vs./& teachers as the solution

•Teachers as technocrats vs./& teachers as reflexive professionals

•Teachers as victims vs./& teachers as perpetrators

Quality Teacher

School Environment

Professional Development

Teaching Practices

Teacher Policy

School based management

Nature of Employment (e.g. contract teachers)

Pre-serviceTraining

In-servicetraining

ProfessionalMentoring

Qualifications DeploymentPolicies

Teacher licensing &Training requirements

Funding for & QA of teacher training

Policies governing Recruitment & promotion

Principal & SeniorTeacher Leadership

Teacher Salaries

Performance Monitoring &Management

School Culture& Climate

Policy, governance & budget frameworks

Community engagementWith the School

OtherConditions of service

Teacher trainingCurriculum & Assessment

Composition of Teaching Workforce

Professional Bodies&Regulatory Codes

School Education Curriculum & Assessment

Quality

Teacher

Teaching Practices

Student Learning

Naylor and Sayed, 2014, 22

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The Long March to Quality Teachers and Teaching and Learning

The 4Rs (Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic, Respect – Values/Social cohesion)

need

The 3Ts– High quality Initial Teacher Education (and ongoing PD)– Teacher Status and Esteem– Effective Teacher Pedagogy/practice

As

part of a holistic set of education policy reforms undertaken by national governments and focused on the attainment of social justice in and through education and quality learning

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• Darling-Hammond (2000: 1) notes that:The findings of both the qualitative and quantitative analyses

suggest that policy investments in the quality of teachers may be related to improvements in student performance. Quantitative analyses indicate that measures of teacher preparation and certification are by far the strongest correlates of student achievement in reading and mathematics, both before and after controlling for student poverty and language status … This analysis suggests that policies adopted by states [in the USA] regarding teacher education, licensing, hiring, and professional development may make an important difference in the qualifications and capacities that teachers bring to their work.

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Quality learning and the 3Ts: Initial Teacher Education/pre-services

High quali

ty initia

l teacher

education

•Attracting the best•Equity and social justice as the framing•Experienced and motivated teacher educators•Relevant content aligned with national curricula •Reflexive engaged teachers produced •School partnership e.g. professional training schools, university schools•Opportunities to practice across diverse context (cross over practicum)

Challenge

s

•A focus on values•The balance between content knowledge and pedagogic content knowledge•Versed in pedagogies of discomfort and of hope•Content of teacher education curricula•Effective integration with CPD•Teaching Practicum•Induction and Mentoring

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Quality learning and the 3Ts

Teacher stat

us and esteem

•Motivated, qualified and committed teachers•Professionally supported•Ongoing professional development•Conducive working conditions•Supportive monitoring and appraisal•Diversified career paths that retain the best in a teaching role•Peer forms of learning and support•Productive forms of teacher accountability

Challenge

s

•Inappropriate professional development modalities e.g.. cascade•Engaged and committed professional associations•Lack of a clear set of Teacher Standards and Competences

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1. Learning mediator2. Interpreter and designer of learning programmes and materials3. Leader, administrator and manager4. Scholar, researcher and lifelong learner5. Community, citizenship and pastoral role

The educator will practise and promote a critical, committed and ethical attitude towards developing a sense of respect and

responsibility towards others. The educator will uphold the constitution and promote democratic values and practices in

schools and society. … will develop supportive relations with parents and other key persons and organisations based on a critical

understanding of community and environmental development issues..

6. Assessor7. Learning area/subject/discipline/phase specialist

SEVEN ROLES OF TEACHERS IN SOUTH AFRICA

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Quality learning and the 3Ts

Effective Teacher Pedago

gy

•Differentiated pedagogic strategies•Effective assessment of learning•High quality learning resources and textbooks•A focus on the poor•Learner centred (broad umbrella)•Incentives to enhance pedagogy•Good teaching involves lifelong learning

Challenge

s

•Conducive working environments•District support/subject advisory support•Teacher autonomy

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Conditions and challenges for implementing teacher education reforms

• Teacher agency

• Teacher Educator Professional Learning Communities

• Political Will coupled with systems wide and systemic education policy reforms

• Effective participation and social dialogue

• Effective link between providers, schools and government

• Alternative modes of teacher education

• Scripted lessons undermines professionalism of teachers.

• Fragmentation of the public teaching system and teachers

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Thank you!

Comments/questions.