The International Teachers Task Force on Education 2030 will host a Lab Debate at this year’s European Development Days. Titled “Female Teachers and Gender Equality in Education”, our debate will look into how we can support women to enter and remain in the teaching profession, as well as gender-responsive teaching methodologies for trainee teachers. This is in line with this year’s EDD theme “Women and Girls at the Forefront of Sustainable Development: protect, empower, invest.”

Although Sustainable Development Goal 4 and the Education 2030 Framework for Action provide clear guidelines to achieving universal and gender-sensitive education, girls still face more barriers in accessing education, and gender stereotypes are often reinforced in their educational experiences. Girls are still 1.5 times more likely than boys to be excluded from primary school, and half of out-of-school primary-aged girls are unlikely to ever enter school. Wealth disparities and the rural-urban divide further exacerbate barriers and vulnerabilities faced by girls, which increase as they get older.

Research suggests that female teachers have an important role in addressing access and quality issues in girls’ educational experiences – especially in places where women are discriminated against and under-represented in political, employment, and leadership positions.

This debate will explore policy, funding and civil society best practices in empowering women to enter and remain in the teaching profession and their role in providing a gender-responsive education to all children.

Our speakers include H.E. Paul Mavima, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education in Zimbabwe; H.E. Marie Odile Attanasso, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Benin; Mrs Teopista Birungi Mayanja, Regional Coordinator for the Africa Network Campaign for Education for All (ANCEFA); and Mrs. Conceição da Glòria Sozinho, Director of ADPP Teacher Training College in Chimoio, Mozambique. They will share their experiences and lessons learned towards achieving gender parity in the teaching profession and gender-responsive teacher training.

The Debate will be held at in Room D1 on Wednesday 6 June at 09:00 am. For more information please go to https://eudevdays.eu/.

Achieving Education 2030 targets and commitments requires efficient and accurate systems to measure progress. International learning assessments are important contributions to the collection of cross-national data that can assess progress towards these targets.UNESCO partnered with the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) on a joint report to exemplify ways in which data from a cross-national learning assessment can help monitor progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).

Measuring progress

Progress in International Reading Literacy (PIRLS) is an international assessment of reading comprehension at fourth grade level that has reported trends in student achievement every five years since 2001.

Using the data from the fifty countries who took part in the 2016 PIRLS, the report provides internationally comparative data and analysis on SDG 4 targets 4.1 on primary education, 4.2 on early childhood development, 4.4 on skills for work, 4.5 on gender equality and inclusion, 4.a on effective learning environments, and 4.c on teachers.

What did we learn?

The PIRLS data revealed that students have access to well-qualified reading teachers. In most countries and dependent territories, reading teachers held at least a Bachelor or equivalent degree. But there is variability both within and across countries and dependent territories. In some countries, large numbers of grade 4 students are taught by reading teachers reporting only an upper secondary education certificate as their highest level of formal education completed. Teachers’ levels of formal qualifications have implications for the quality of education provision. To improve teacher quality, countries can support teachers to upgrade their qualifications through needs-based professional development.

We also learned that formal teacher education does not adequately address specialized skills required to ensure reading achievement for all children. While nearly two-thirds of grade 4 students are taught by reading teachers who report having studied reading pedagogy or teaching methods specific to reading instruction, only 18% and 23%, respectively, of grade 4 students were taught by reading teachers who reported having studied second language learning and remedial reading instruction. This means that teachers may not be appropriately prepared to ensure inclusive and equitable quality learning for all. In countries where the classroom language is different from the home language, teachers with specialized training can help close reading achievement gaps.

PIRLS is a useful instrument for monitoring progress on SDG 4 targets and can be used to gain an in-depth understanding of the effects of policies and practices. By monitoring teachers qualifications and pedagogical needs, countries can make evidence-informed decisions, such as reforms to improve initial teacher education and how best to allocate resources for teachers’ professional development based on needs.

The joint UNESCO-IEA booklet can be accessed here and the full PIRLS 2016 results can be accessed here.

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The Teacher Task Force’s Mobile Learning Week workshop was a resounding success with high participation. Nearly 55% of the participants who took our workshop survey indicated that the presentations made by our members were very useful.

Participants to the Teacher Task Force’s Mobile Learning Week workshop were also invited to take part in a survey designed by our colleagues from UNESCO IITE to allow us to better understand attitudes toward ICT competency for transformation of teaching and learning.

93% of the survey respondents agree that a new model of a teacher for Education 2030 will be based on the ICT competencies.

For 38% of respondents, the divide in qualifications of teachers who lack opportunities to acquire basic ICT literacy skills, low motivation for the use of ICT in professional daily experience and the lack of ICT and internet connection are the most important reasons for the gap in ICT application by teachers nowadays. This gap could be explained by the absence of available pedagogical resources, relevant curriculum, teaching/learning materials for 35% of the respondents.

45% of the respondents indicated that carrying out online trainings was the best way to support teachers and school leaders in ICT applications.

96% of respondents agree that online trainings will be a necessary part of teachers’ professional development in the future. However, it was also underlined that online training should be viewed in a holistic approach, including the need for technical support (hardware, software, teacher-oriented) to make online trainings work. Online guidance/mentoring was also highlighted as a way to ensure online trainings completion. The experience described by Mr. Mathieu Lacasse in the Camara Learning Academy was cited as a good example of such an approach by a participant.

The presentations made during our workshop can be downloaded on this page. 

The Teacher Task Force would like to thank the members who came to present their projects. The TTF would also like to thank the people who came to take part in our workshop.

How do the top-ranked countries in education achieve outstanding school performance? What are the reasons behind the rise of their school performance? This was the discussion subject of a conference organized by the Permanent Delegation of Argentina to UNESCO in March. As teachers constitute one of the key elements behind students’ and schools’ performance, a large focus was put on discussing what makes a good teacher. Experts from around the world gathered to share their countries’ perspectives on how to train teachers, analyse their performance and motivate them. 

Teacher training: what type and for how long?

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics defines a trained teacher as a “teacher who has fulfilled at least the minimum organized teacher-training requirements (pre-service or in-service) to teach a specific level of education according to the relevant national policy or law.” However, there is no universal agreement on what being a trained teacher means or what the minimum requirements to qualify as a teacher are.

Experience from top-ranked education systems, though, shows consistent patterns regarding teacher training and education. They all normalized pre-service training as a university course sanctioned by a degree, some of them even requiring having obtained classroom experience prior. Dr Huihua He, Associate Professor and Deputy Director, College of Education - Shanghai Normal University, indicated that it takes the completion of a four-year programme followed by one-year in-service training to become a qualified teacher. It is impossible to practice as a teacher in Shanghai without this certification.

She also underlined the importance of providing students with information and guidance on professional development. The university, to this end, integrated a “teacher professional development” course into other courses so that students have an understanding of the career ladder.

Should teachers be evaluated?

Another aspect of ensuring students are taught by good teachers is through evaluation. Ms Sonia Guerriero - Senior Programme Specialist, UNESCO – stated that teacher evaluation is necessary, as they need to keep their knowledge up to date on theory and practices as well as develop knowledge on new skills needed. Performance evaluations can be used to identify areas where teachers may need additional training.

However, there is an ongoing debate regarding what means can be used to determine a teacher’s performance. Is it through the evaluation of the students learning outcomes or through teacher evaluations?

There are several arguments against the use of students’ learning outcomes as the only means of teacher evaluation. Indeed, there are several factors that can affect students’ test scores outside of teachers’ performance, such as parental support, resources, curriculum content, and learning materials. Children’s economic and social background also play a role in their learning achievement.

Mr Hong Joon Chae – Director of the Education Budget Division, Ministry of Education, Republic of Korea – indicated that, in Korea, teachers in primary and secondary education are evaluated every year. This evaluation includes both a performance evaluation and an expertise evaluation to determine their knowledge on the subject they teach. It also includes an evaluation of the classroom climate and the teacher’s attitude.

Ms Guerriero debated that a more effective means of teacher evaluation would be to use classroom observation with mentoring and feedback by peers. Through observation, the focus can be placed on instructional practice, on-the-spot decision making, maintaining high-functioning and nurturing classrooms, content focus and depth of instruction. Evaluations can also include peer reviews of teaching through interviews and analysis of videotaped instruction. Indeed, teachers are not only there to share knowledge with their students but to also develop their skills.

Evaluation, especially through peer reviews, can also influence classroom practices, through informal in-service training. In Japan, for instance, there is a strong culture of seniority, with mentoring of younger teachers within schools. This includes evaluation of those young teachers’ performances by senior teachers, leading to teachers learning from and supporting each other.

Impact of incentives on teachers’ performance

Mr Chae underlined that, in Korea, teachers are very well paid. Indeed, teacher pay in Korea is higher than the average calculated based on OECD countries. Therefore, it is not a crucial variable for improving teachers’ performance. He noted that amongst surveyed teachers, autonomy in the classroom and professional development opportunities were indicated as affecting teachers’ performances.
This is also the case in Finland, where an important emphasis has been put on teachers’ autonomy. Indeed, Ms Jaana Palorjävi – Director, International Relations, Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland – explained that a lot of leeway is given to teachers in how to organize the school day, based on a skeleton framework provided to them.

It was also noted that teacher development programmes should focus on allowing teachers to go further than transmitting knowledge. Dr Makito Yurita – Senior Researcher, National Institute for School Teachers and Staff Development, Japan – described the teacher as a learner, a thinker and an enquirer. He also further explained that as teachers are not just preparing students for the job market but also preparing future citizens, they should be encouraged to participate in discussions on the goal of education.

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The International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 (Teacher Task Force) is organizing a workshop during the upcoming Mobile Learning Week 2018. This year, the theme of the event “Skills for a Connected World” will examine the types of skills needed in and for a connected economy and society, with a focus on digital skills and competencies. It will also review strategies and ways in which these skills can be delivered and assessed within the context of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4).

The Education 2030 Framework for Action underlines teachers’ key role in achieving SDG4. However, to increase access and improve the quality of education, new models of teacher professional development are required. With the ever-changing demands for the workforce’s qualifications and the apparition of new skills needed, teaching and teacher training/development have to build on successful uses of ICT to improve learning. Teachers have to adapt the way they teach to focus on skills required for an increasingly connected world, skills teachers also need to understand and possess.

The Teacher Task Force is mobilizing its members, particularly those belonging to its thematic group on ICT and distance education for teacher development, to share innovative pedagogical approaches and teacher management and professional development methods based on ICT use. The workshop will feature examples of responses to the new ICT-based educational environment and will offer the opportunity to question the models of emerging approaches and practices for teaching and learning. It will collect feedback on the potential for scaling up the examples presented and their replicability to other contexts.

Five projects related to the demands for new ICT competencies of the 21st century teachers, barriers faced by teachers and the role ICT can play to overcome them and facilitate the teaching and learning process, planning main stages of ICT competency development for teachers, and approaches to online teacher professional development will be presented:

• Camara Learning Academy, Camara Education
• mproving ICT competencies of teachers in remote area schools, Indonesia
• Digital solutions for 21st century teachers and learners, Weidong Cloud Education Group
• ICT in the system of professional development of teachers. A look into the future, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia
• The P4R EMIS.Education App, JET and Program4Results

The workshop will enable participants to consider several models of teacher ICT competency development, and compare and discuss existing approaches and online training platforms. It will also enhance their understanding regarding the necessity of the ICT competency framework for teachers, to ensure teachers have the required skills to adapt to both an ICT-based education system as well as understand the skills learners need to develop.

The results will be used by the Teacher Task Force’s working group to pursue its action towards the increase of qualified teachers and the improvement of teaching for better learning outcomes.

More information on Mobile Learning Week 2018 is available on the UNESCO dedicated website.

UNHCR reported that there are over 21.3 million refugees worldwide and half of it are children, badly in need of assistance, especially in terms of education. As technology can offer solutions to teachers in crisis and emergencies to better respond to children's needs, the UNESCO 2017 edition of Mobile Learning Week (20-24 March 2017) explored how technology can help meet the educational needs of refugees and other learners displaced due to emergency and crisis situations.

The International Task Force on Teachers (TTF), as a global advocate and catalyst for the advancement of the teaching profession worldwide, supported this year Mobile Learning Week by sponsoring the session "Providing mobile solution for teachers in crisis and emergencies". The TTF convened experts and actors who are actively focusing their work on developing mobile technology tools to better support teachers working in crisis and emergencies. Dr Edem Adubra, Head of the TTF Secretariat, underlined: "Teachers play a central role in education, especially those in crisis and emergency situations; therefore, providing them with solutions is of utmost importance". He added: "TTF reaches teachers, teaching and the teaching profession at all levels of formal and non-formal education, including those in crisis and emergency situations".

The first solution showcased in the session was "Golden Teacher" application. This mobile application was developed for both trained and untrained teachers in developing countries to facilitate their use of effective teaching strategies. The application takes the form of a step-by-step process of the design, delivery, and evaluation of a learning experience for an individual or for a group of teachers. It does not include any curriculum content, and is consequently applicable across the whole range of education contexts and settings.

The South Sudan Literacy App was the second solution showcased. This application helps teachers working with learners in basic literacy programme through a handheld device. To take into account the challenges related to South Sudan's context, the application provides access to a course designed in such a way to minimize users' challenges in accessing and understanding the content. By using effective and proven learning concepts, the aim is to increase the literacy level of the users and have them undergo the various tests to assess their literacy level after completing the different modules. This easy-to-use literacy application also helps teachers provide assessments remotely.

The third solution presented was developed to address teacher education needs, a distance education experience from Mozambique. The presentation "Mobile online education in post-war environment" shared an innovative strategy in providing distance education in Mozambique. The program, developed by ISCED, helps students to have their university courses in their pockets wherever they are and at whatever time. With this innovation, more and more people can access online education. Within a year, the university using the online program has seen its student population growing from 2 500 in 2015 to a total of 7 000 in 2016. According to Wisdom Machacha, the program currently has a limited number of courses, but more will be added in the near future. This is a great innovation in light of the well documented problems of electricity, communication, poor road infrastructure and many other ills associated with a post-war country such as Mozambique.

The last IT solution presented was specifically designed to help teachers in emergency and crisis situations. The EDUTrackerApp application is a "mega-app" developed to provide learners and teachers with access to high quality curricula and proficiency assessments, and to track teaching activities in key subjects and grades. The application can also track school attendance daily, online or offline, through GPS coordinates and a multi-factor authentication process. The application also enables the head teacher to report emergencies on infrastructure breakdown, school security and safety issues, school feeding, health crises and natural disasters through a ticketing system.

The session highlighted IT solutions applied to education in emergency and crisis situations and their implementation in various parts of the world. As one participant shared during the discussion part of the session, IT can surely be one of the solutions to address the need of teachers and learners in crisis and emergencies.