Muni
Unyama
Kaliro Mubende
Kabale
TRAINING COMPETENT TEACHERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY Good Practices from Uganda
Designed by Mango Tree Educational Enterprises www.mangotreeuganda.org
Muni
Unyama
Kaliro Mubende
Kabale
TRAINING COMPETENT TEACHERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY Good Practices from Uganda This document provides key good practices of the Teacher Training Education (TTE) project, implemented by Enabel, the Belgian development agency and the Ministry of Education and Sports in Uganda. We hope this content will reach others in similar sectors and inspire communities of change by adopting, adapting and scaling up practices previously implemented by the TTE project in Uganda.
ABBREVIATIONS In this document, the following abbreviations may be used: ATL – Active Teaching and Learning CMU – Construction Management Unit (MoES) CSP – Continuous School Practice GRP – Gender Responsive Pedagogy ICDL – International Computer Driving License ICT – Information and Communication Technology ICT T&L – ICT in Teaching and Learning M&E – Monitoring and Evaluation MoES – Ministry of Education and Sports (Uganda)
NTC – National Teachers’ College PDU – Procurement and Disposal Unit (MoES) PSS – Partner Secondary School RBM – Results-Based Management SDHR – Support to Development of Human Resources SLE – Safe Learning Environment TIET – Teachers, Instructors Education & Training department (MoES) TTE – Teacher Training and Education Project
OVERVIEW OF THE TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION PROJECT
Muni
The TTE objective is to provide an improved teaching and practice oriented learning environment.
Unyama
5 National Teachers’ Colleges responsible for training ‘S1-S4’ secondary school teachers
Kaliro Mubende
Kabale
TIET/ MoES
ENABEL
2011
Belgium provides support to Teacher Education through the TTE project
2021
It aims at strengthening professional competencies and capacities of teacher trainers, college management staff and future teachers graduating from one of the five NTCs through three main components.
Both the Belgian and Ugandan governments have contributed to the financial support of the project, providing a sum of 23,000,000 euros. The implementing partners are the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) through their Teacher/Instructor Education and Training Department (TIET) and Enabel.
D ●● P
e ●● PSS T System Level
Individual Level
U
TC
Infrastructure
●● CMU
Pedagogy
ac
●● T IET
DIGITALISATION
rs he
GENDER
ff
Institutional Development
CAPACITY BUILDING
Sta
These objectives will be achieved through
N
●●
ENVIRONMENT
Improving the organisational and financial management within the supported colleges by digitalising management procedures and introducing Results-Based Management as a method Rehabilitating, extending and equipping college facilities, advocating for sustainable, energy efficient infrastructure and its maintenance Improving the quality of teaching and learning in the supported colleges by introducing learner centered methodologies and promoting the use of ICT
The integration of the cross cutting themes of digitalisation, gender and environment are key strategic orientations of the TTE project.
Organisational Level
● ● NT C
This way, TTE hopes to feed good practices experienced on a local level into national level implementations.
RESULTS-BASED MANAGEMENT FOR INCREASED STAFF PARTICIPATION
STARTING POINT
? Staff
Financing
Care taking staff
? Teaching staff
ACHIEVEMENTS
? Librarians ? Non teaching
?
To tackle the lack of staff participation in management processes, Results-based Management (RBM) was introduced in the NTCs. RBM is defined as a working method that orients all actions and use of resources towards achieving clearly defined and demonstrable results - in order to be transparent and accountable, and increasing participation of staff in management processes.
staff
Principal
Accountant
MANAGEMENT PROCESS
? Administrative Staff
Depending solely on the decisions of principals and accountants, management processes were largely being defined by a huge lack of staff participation. Besides this, college workplans did not formulate clear, expected results, nor was there a linked budget or transparent monitoring of the implementation.
Results-Based Management is a method that allows to: Win time
Reduce Achieve costs better results TTE
Quarterly reviews
Preparation of budgeted workplan
M&E process to review workplan
Data analysis workshop NTCs
Reviews are planned periodically together with the NTCs and TIET to monitor the progress made, to reflect on the activities done and to set new goals.
GRANT
Writing and sending request proposals
Reporting and preparing accountabilities
The TTE project funded a part of each college’s workplan through a grant agreement. This helped to train staff in writing and sending proposals, in reporting and in preparing accountabilities.
RBM is the key to unlocking productivity within the NTCs - INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICER ENABEL
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION FOR MANAGEMENT OF TIET AND THE NTCS STARTING POINT
ACHIEVEMENTS The Teacher/Tutor, Instructor Education and Training (TIET) department stands on the verge of digitally transforming some of its services and is promoting the digital transformation of the NTCs. In order to strengthen organisational management capacities, the project installed digital tools and software packages at the NTCs relating to Human Resource Management, Financial Management, Academic Management and Library Management.
Low access to ICT and mobile technologies due to infrastructural issues
Focus on increased internet connectivity within the NTCs.
Insecurity about using new devices and technologies
Poor management skills and use of manual systems
With the additional support of the Support to Development of Human Resources (SDHR) project, at least 50% of the college staff undertook the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) to become digital-savvy.
Staff are able to effectively use the digital platforms related to Human Resource Management, Financial Management, Academic Management or Library Management.
These new skills and digital tools have ensured the development of a more efficient, effective, transparent and accountable management system in the Colleges.
Digitalising our management systems enables us not to work harder, but smarter - NTC KABALE FIELD COORDINATOR
DESIGN FOR CLIMATE RESPONSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE STARTING POINT
ACHIEVEMENTS
The increase in demand for teachers (together with the closing of 5 other NTCs in the past) has put all the NTCs under pressure, resulting in fully occupied or even over-occupied colleges.
All constructions (classrooms, ICT labs, resource centers, dormitories, staff residences, etc.) were built in a climate responsive approach. Designing sustainable infrastructure is essential for providing and ensuring good quality conditions for an appropriate teaching, learning and working environment. Taking into account climate responsive design from the start reduces costs and need for maintenance.
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
Laboratories
Computer rooms
Libraries
Teacher training colleges lack adequate instructional facilities.
The buildings constructed under the project at hand have been furnished and equipped while taking into consideration low environmental impact construction materials.
ENERGY EFFICIENT KITCHENS
Solar panels Water heaters
Biogas
We moved from under the tree into a 21st Century classroom In line with the criteria for sustainable infrastructure, energy efficient kitchens were built, running on renewable energy such as solar panels, biogas and water heaters. This led to reduced financial costs on the one hand and a smaller ecological footprint of the colleges on the other.
-NTC UNYAMA FIELD COORDINATOR
BUILDING FOR A SAFE AND ACTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT STARTING POINT
Violence on campus
Low maintenance of buildings
ACHIEVEMENTS The construction of a safe environment has been ensured by designing buildings and outside areas to act as safe places. Another objective was to provide the colleges with a comfortable and productive ATL environment, thereby paying special attention to specific furniture and classroom requirements. To guarantee the continuity and sustainability of these SLEs, maintenance activities were also embedded in the final stages of construction.
Dark pathways
Safe Learning Environment Walk Conducting research during SLE walks in the NTCs revealed that students are often harassed (verbally and/or physically) on campus, and that there are several dark spaces on college grounds making specific areas unsafe. Besides that, low maintenance of buildings by NTC staff make structures more liable and prone to defects, in turn creating precarious situations and an unresponsive and demotivational teaching climate.
ATL-ORIENTED CLASSROOMS
Smaller classrooms with better acoustics and furniture designed to facilitate ATL
Awareness raising activities for staff and students Repair of water pumps, solar panels, etc.
MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES
Maintenance of NTCs
Exhibition panels
Light furniture and flexible space ATL-ORIENTED FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT
Clean rooves free from asbestos
SAFE CAMPUS
Fire extinguishers
Safe electricity installation
This is a safe learning environment, a place where students with so many differences feel treated as equal -NTC KALIRO LECTURER
TRAINING TEACHERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY STARTING POINT
ACHIEVEMENTS Lack of professional developments for NTC staff
Lack of opportunities for NTC students to practice
Weak teaching methods for NTC students
Professional development modules on ATL and increased opportunities for teaching practice were introduced in the NTCs, leading to the training of competent teachers for the 21st century. CONTINIOUS SCHOOL PRACTICE
TEACHER QUALITY IN THE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
Poor motivation of NTC staff
AS A RESULT
Continuous School Practice refers to a pilot system of organising teaching practice on a more regular basis in NTCs and in secondary schools close to the NTCs for teacher students to further develop their teaching skills.
Secondary school NTC
sation of Underutitilional time c ru inst
ing ate teach Inapproprihodology met d centere Teacheedr-agogy p
ning
Poor plan
al
c ate practi Inappropriwork
GENDER RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGY (GRP) By equipping teachers with gender responsive knowledge, skills and attitudes, empowering them to respond adequately to the learning needs of girls and boys alike, the colleges advocate for a GRP, creating an environment of gender equality in teacher education. Attitude
Skills
Knowledge
ACTIVE TEACHING & LEARNING (ATL) IN PARTNER SECONDARY SCHOOLS (PSS) Focusing on students’ needs, abilities, backgrounds and interests and with the teacher primarily as a guide and facilitator for learning, the student is placed at the centre of the teaching and learning process. These teaching methods were introduced in the NTCs and were further extended to PSS teachers to practice the skills learnt and to embed them in their daily teaching.
MENTORSHIP
Mentors are college teaching staff that have received specific trainings in order to be able to share their experience with peers on subjects like ATL. The trained lecturers in cascade trained their students in ATL, who can in turn apply this methodology in their training practice.
Involving students by using active teaching methods means they come back to class the next day remembering the learning content -NTC UNYAMA LECTURER
USE OF ICT FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING STARTING POINT
20% of the academic and technical/support staff were considered computer literate to some extent
ACHIEVEMENTS 80% of the teaching and supporting staff were said to either lack competencies in computing and ICT application or had never applied/practiced computer skills after being trained
Considering the lack of ICT skills among NTC staff, ICT in Teaching and Learning was introduced in a phased manner.
12% of staff and
students owned a computer
11% never had access to a computer
5%
were confident in using mail and web applications without external support
The NTCs were equipped with additional laptops and desktops and better internet connectivity was provided.
Staff were trained to become skilled ICT’ers, encouraging them to actively use ICT in teacher training.
10 motivated and skilled National Experts and 5 ICT Champions per NTC were selected to give trainings to all NTC staff on different practical modules to use ICT for lesson delivery, electronic portfolio development, class assessment, lesson preparation and communication.
I will use what I have learnt today to make teaching and learning in NTCs better and enjoyable -NTC KALIRO LECTURER
IMPACT OF THE PROJECT TEACHERS ARE COMPETENT!
A Tracer Study conducted by TTE revealed that; ––
91% of the graduates were employed – 81% as teachers.
––
51% of graduates got their first job within 6 months after graduation.
––
Graduates are teaching the classes they were trained for: 98% teach O’ level (S1-S4).
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88% of the graduates noted gaining good practical skills, knowledge and professional methods from the institutions.
––
Graduates also received a high rating by employers in all skills, specifically subject knowledge and teaching methods. 86% of employers think NTC graduates are more professional, handson and committed to work compared to those from other Professional institutions.
21ST CENTURY MANAGEMENT SKILLS ARE IMPLEMENTED!
The Results-Based Management (RBM) in the 5 NTCs has massively taken root. Staff participation in NTC management has widely increased. Colleges submit annual result based workplans aligned with their budget to the TIET Department. As a result, the development and implementation of the College workplans is done in a more transparent and collaborative way. The financial management systems in place in the Colleges have moved away from manual- and paper-work to digital tools and software.
In order to strengthen HR management, a simple, innovative tool was introduced to measure staff’s presence in the Colleges and is now fully stabilized, and well accepted. This has a huge impact in reducing staff absenteeism. The digital library management system is also well established, easing the Colleges book borrowing processes and providing transparent overviews of data.
SAFE ENVIRONMENTS FOR NTC STAFF AND STUDENTS!
The colleges have undergone construction and reparation, specifically focusing on libraries, dormitories, open classrooms, ECD buildings, teacher residences, dining halls, rooves etc. By focusing on the proper use of the infrastructure and their maintenance, its sustainability has also been secured. Gender Based Violence on campus has also been tackled through awareness raising activities and infrastructural adjustments.
NTC LECTURERS ARE COMPETENT IN ATL AND ICT IN TEACHING AND LEARNING!
Effective use of ATL is widely implemented by lecturers in NTCs. The mentorship system is now well rooted in the colleges. The introduction of concrete ICT in Teaching & Learning training modules has also contributed to the use of ATL through a different approach. The use of ATL is also widely cascading from NTC lecturers to the NTC students and Partner Secondary Schools. The pilot implementation of CSP continued successfully, as findings demonstrated the pedagogical interest of such a system to strengthen the students’ confidence.
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For more information contact our administration officer: Monica Maturu M: + 256 782504194 monica.maturu@enabel.be Enabel UGANDA Lower Kololo Terrace, Plot 1B P.O. BOX 40131 Kampala