Taking ownership: Including all in teachers’ school-based continuous professional development

EasyChair Preprint 1523

Abstract

The Zambian Education School based Training (ZEST) programme (2017-2022), funded by the Scottish Government, is an innovative response to government policy which engages all levels of the education system. Ministers in Zambia recognise that CPD provision based on the cascade model which takes teachers away from school is disruptive and expensive, and often not effective, as key messages become diluted by the time they reach teachers. However, the alternative system in place in Zambia (modelled on the Japanese system of Lesson Study) has not delivered the expected gains in learning outcomes, partly as a result of a lack of resources, and partly as a result of the challenges of ‘cultural transfer’.

ZEST was designed, in partnership with The Ministry of General Education and World Vision Zambia. The system preserves the aspects of current practice which work well (collaborative planning in regular teacher group meetings), and operationalises the MoGE’s revised Zambian school curriculum, supporting teachers and stakeholders in making a pedagogic shift to a more learner-centred approach to learning and teaching. ZEST strengthens the existing system through the provision of resources made available to all stakeholders, and adapts it for the African context. The resources draw on a wide evidence-base about the nature of teacher learning and learner-centred education. They include the Teacher Education in sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) OER, alongside bespoke training guides, and video materials.

The paper explains the ZEST approach and presents evidence of impact, drawn from the first cohort of 200 teachers from the Chisamba district, including the challenges faced since its inception. The presentation will offer the opportunity for participants to discuss the resources developed, and to gain first-hand experience of a proposed method for making them widely available using Raspberry Pi computers which can be connected to their Smart phone.

Keyphrases: Collaborative teacher learning, School-based Continuous Professional Development, Technology

@booklet{EasyChair:1523,
  author    = {Lore Gallastegi and Kris Stutchbury and Clare Woodward},
  title     = {Taking ownership: Including all in teachers’ school-based continuous professional development},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 1523},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2019}}