TEACHER EDUCATION
Address at 8th International Policy Dialogue Forum,
15-17 March 2016, Mexico City, Mexico
15th 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
• 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
4
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote
lifelong learning
5
Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
6
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 Outcomes
4.2 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 nonviolence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of
culture’ contribution to sustainable development
4.A Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender
sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning
environments for all
4b 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
8
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.
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
By 2030, all
governments ensure
that all learners are
taught by qualified,
professionallytrained, 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
knowledge.
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• Incheon Declaration:
“We will ensure that teachers and educators
are empowered, adequately recruited, welltrained, professionally qualified, motivated
and supported within well-resourced, efficient
and effectively governed systems”.
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THE CHALLENGE
A turn to quality, learning and teachers
but limited?
12
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?
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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
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Teacher Policy
Professional Bodies
&Regulatory Codes
m
is
al
on
si
es
of
Pr
t
on
te
x
Po
lit
ic
ss
uuttee
rriibb uueess
t
t
t
t
A
A VVaall
&
&
t
Other
Conditions
of service
Teacher
Salaries
Policies governing
Recruitment & promotion
x
te
on
al
C
C
al
ci
So
Policy, governance & budget
frameworks
Teacher
Teaching
Teaching
Practices
Practices
Qualifications
Funding for & QA
of teacher training
Professional
Mentoring
School based
management
Nature of Employment
(e.g. contract teachers)
Community engagement
With the School
Professional
Development
Deployment
Policies
Composition
of Teaching
Workforce
Principal & Senior
Teacher Leadership
School
Environment
e
nt
Co
Cu
ltu
r
ic
al
C
om
on
Ec
School Culture
& Climate
Performance
Monitoring &
Management
t
In-service
training
Teacher training
Curriculum &
Assessment
Student
Quality
Learning
Teacher
on
te
x
Pre-service
Training
hing
Teac nce
ete
Comp
Teacher licensing &
Training requirements
Re
l
Ac ation
co sh
un ips
tab &
ilit
y
Quality
xt
School Education
Curriculum & Assessment
Naylor and Sayed, 2014, 22
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
17
• 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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• 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)
Challenges
High quality initial teacher
education
Quality learning and the 3Ts: Initial Teacher Education/preservices
•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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• 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
Challenges
Teacher status and esteem
Quality learning and the 3Ts
• 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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SEVEN ROLES OF TEACHERS IN SOUTH AFRICA
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Learning mediator
Interpreter and designer of learning programmes and materials
Leader, administrator and manager
Scholar, researcher and lifelong learner
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.
Assessor
7.
Learning area/subject/discipline/phase specialist
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• 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
Challenges
Effective Teacher Pedagogy
Quality learning and the 3Ts
• 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.
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