Friday, September 3, 2010

Pakistani Teacher Education and Professional Development Program (PTEPDP)


This Task Order supports the improvement of teacher training in mathematics, science and English language at the primary school level in Pakistan over a period of three years (July 2003 through June 2006). This is carried out by (1) arranging certificate courses for as many as 250 teacher trainers; (2) providing opportunities for leadership and professional development; (3) establishing linkages between teacher training institutions in the U.S. and in Pakistan; and (4) implementing in-country activities to support use of the U.S. training, the development of linkages, and the sharing of newly gained skills among colleagues. Another important objective of this effort is to increase cross-cultural understanding between Americans and Pakistanis and engender increased good-will between the two countries.

The quality of learning and competency level of both students and teachers in Pakistan is among the poorest in the region. One of the reasons is the low level of educational qualifications required to become a primary school teacher. Another is the quality of teacher certification programs, which suffers from the lack of adequately trained trainers, little emphasis on teaching practice and non-existence of proper support/monitoring system for teachers.

The overall objective of PTEPDP is to increase the base of skilled, high performing Pakistani school administrators and teachers in the teaching of mathematics, science and English as a second language, and to promote cultural understanding between the US and Pakistan. These professional development programs will be customized to reflect needs identified as critical to Pakistani educators.

Since July 2003, AED has continued working on a three-year award from USAID/Pakistan to implement the full range of technical and administrative services required to increase the skills of Pakistani primary school teacher educators of math, science, and English as a Second Language (ESL). The Pakistan Teacher Education and Professional Development Program (PTEPDP) also aims to promote cultural understanding between the U.S. and Pakistan.

Pakistani teacher educators have completed their certificate programs of study in the U.S. These have included 21 Pakistani administrators of teacher training institutions and 25 science teacher educators, who completed their programs at the University of Montana.


An additional 14 ESL teacher trainers completed their training at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. All three delegations were provided an opportunity to join such professional membership organizations in the U.S. as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and the National Science Teachers* Association (NSTA). All participants were also provided laptop computers to take back to their home institutions. Another integral part of all certificate programs are visits to local schools where participants can observe firsthand their American counterparts. These visits are typically enjoyed very much by the delegates, and provide an opportunity for them to learn more about the American school system and to also meet with key school administrators and selected teachers.

At present, another 49 Pakistani teacher educators are being trained in the U.S. AED has recently added a third academic partner - Oregon State University, which welcomed its first group of 13 Pakistani science teacher trainers to the Corvallis campus on September 17. The University of Montana is currently conducting training for 15 ESL teacher trainers, and George Mason University is hosting 21 math educators.

USAID and AED anticipate that between 225 and 250 Pakistani educators will travel to the United States to complete certificate programs over the life of the contract. It is envisioned that at least half of all the participants will come from the disadvantaged regions of Balochistan and Sindh and at least half of the delegates will be women. The project also includes plans for incountry workshops and seminars, as well as university linkages and partnership activities such as faculty exchanges and joint curriculum development projects. The first major National Teacher Training Conference is being planned for December, 2004, in Islamabad. It is anticipated that this conference will provide an opportunity for discussing and understanding the problems, needs, interventions, and status of teacher education in Pakistan. AED manages and implements this project from our offices in Washington, DC and Islamabad, and has liaison staff in Quetta and Karachi.

First major National Teacher Training Conference took place on 20-22 December, 2004 in Islamabad. The Conference, attended by over 250 people (including 75 alumni from the past PTEPDP training programs), included numerous panels and provided an excellent opportunity for discussing and understanding the problems, needs, interventions and status of teacher education in Pakistan. As part of the project, Dr. Jack Levy, professor from George Mason University and coordinator of the training program, who made a presentation on Teacher Education Standards and Their Role in Education Reform and Dr. Michael Dalton, professor from the Oregon State University, who delivered a presentation on Innovations in Teacher Preparation: The Education Double Degree, as well as by Project Manager David Seider, who coordinated conference panels on participants* Action Plans implementation. The first Quarterly Newsletter designed as a form of alumni networking and information sharing was also released in December and made available to all conference attendees.

AED has implemented a three-year USAID-funded project to improve the skills of Pakistani primary school teacher educators of Math, Science, and English as a Second Language (ESL). The Pakistan Teacher Education and Professional Development Program (PTEPDP) also promotes cultural understanding between the US and Pakistan.

Pakistani teacher educators have completed their certificate programs of study in the US. All of the participants were provided an opportunity to join US professional membership organizations, including the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), the National Science Teachers* Association (NSTA), and the National Council of Teachers* of Mathematics (NCTM), among others. Each participant also received a laptop computer to take back to their home institutions.

An additional 63 Pakistani teacher educators traveled to the US to begin their training in three US universities: George Mason University is hosting a group of 21 math educators; Oregon State University - a group of 20 Pakistani ESL teacher trainers; and the University of Montana - 22 science teacher trainers. These partner institutions have assembled an excellent multicultural faculty to teach and coordinate activities for the group. In addition to exposing the participants to updated teacher training methodologies and the latest techniques and concepts in subject instruction and curriculum development, the program provides the participants with opportunities to take part in field visits to US schools, academic exchanges, and significant cross-cultural activities. The visits to US schools have been a favorite activity of the Pakistani teacher trainers, as the visits provide the opportunity for the delegation to learn more about the US school system and meet with key school administrators, teachers, and students.

In addition to the US training, the Pakistan Teacher Education and Professional Development Program includes substantial in-country programming, faculty exchanges, and joint curriculum development projects. In December 2004, AED also organized the first major National Teacher Training Conference for over 250 policymakers, teacher educators, education experts, heads of teacher training/education colleges in the public sector, senior federal and provincial government officials, and representatives of well-known private sector teacher training institutions, NGOs and major donors in Pakistan.

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) was awarded a three-year contract by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) under its Strategic Technical Assistance for Results through Training (START) Program to implement programs aimed at providing Pakistani educators with the knowledge, training, and infrastructure necessary to develop high quality education programs for girls and boys throughout Pakistan.

172 Pakistani teacher educators have completed their certificate programs of study in the US. All of the participants were provided an opportunity to join US professional membership organizations, including the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), the National Science Teachers* Association (NSTA), and the National Council of Teachers* of Mathematics (NCTM), among others. Each participant also received a laptop computer to take back to their home institutions.

The project also includes plans for in-country workshops and seminars, as well as university linkages and partnership activities such as faculty exchanges and joint curriculum development projects. The new stage of the Program focuses on in-country training of an increased number of master teacher trainers, while continuing to build the capacity of Pakistani teacher training institutions and facilitating long-range linkages between US teacher training institutions and their counterparts in Pakistan.

source:www.aed.org

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