Abstract
Sustaining educational initiatives beyond short-term pilot projects is highly challenging in low-income countries. We describe the outcomes and implications of our iterative Design-Based Implementation Research conducted in Zambia. This focused on a unique, school-based, peer-facilitated professional learning programme for primary teachers: OER4Schools integrates interactive pedagogy, open digital educational resources and mobile learning. Teacher interviews carried out 18 months after a year-long intervention showed that the programme became self-sustaining; earlier participants reported further development of their interactive teaching strategies and awareness of pupil progress; recent joiners developed similarly. Roles of teachers and pupils changed and a new classroom culture emerged. The study identifies the key mechanisms involved in sustainability, including culturally sensitive and participatory development and implementation, semi-structured multimedia materials, and supportive organisational structures for sustained professional learning. Our findings are hence framed by sociocultural influences as well as the wider policy context.
Highlights
Our research responds to the 4th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) on inclusive, quality Education for All and the particular need to increase the quality of teaching and learning in primary education: 250 million children in schools are not acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills (UNESCO, 2014, 2015)
The most significant concrete change related to participation in the OER4Schools Teacher professional development (TPD) programme was that a large proportion of the teachers developed a broader range of teaching strategies to draw on, namely dialogue, questioning and group work, as promoted by and illustrated in the programme
Some additional insights arose concerning the sustainability of school-based TPD in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (RQ3): What are the lessons that might be learned regarding mechanisms promoting sustainability and cultural appropriateness of TPD for LCE in the SSA context? What further mechanisms might strengthen the approach? We outline the key issues addressed, including the motivation of teachers and school leadership, and how a long-term TPD programme might best be scheduled
Summary
Our research responds to the 4th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) on inclusive, quality Education for All and the particular need to increase the quality of teaching and learning in primary education: 250 million children in schools are not acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills (UNESCO, 2014, 2015). While the need is recognised, there is little consensus on what quality means. Teacher professional development (TPD) is important for raising quality, and there are many TPD initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There is little evidence concerning which specific elements of TPD are effective for student attainment (Sims and Fletcher-Wood, 2018), and examining the sustainable impact of TPD on teaching practice is rare (SSA: Haßler et al, 2018). We do know that TPD is not always successful.
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