Introduction

ZEST aims to create and implement a scalable and “enhanced” approach to the existing school-based teacher development program and contribute to improving the quality of teaching and learning experiences for children in primary schools in Zambia’s Central Province.

ZEST was co-designed with Zambian teachers, building on existing practices and supporting an active, learner-centered approach to teaching that will improve learning outcomes in Zambia.

Key features of the ZEST model

• In the ZEST Lesson Study Approach, school-based teacher study groups agree on the focus for collaborative improvement based on diagnoses of their own professional needs.
• Teacher study groups meet regularly at the school level either in subject groups, by grade, or as a whole staff to undertake activities 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 described in the diagram on the next page. The frequency and size of meetings are decided at the school level.
• The cycle is repeated with a different pedagogic focus.
• School In-Service Coordinators (SICs) or nominated members of staff facilitate the meetings. Schools are grouped into zones, and SICs are supported by Zonal In-Service Coordinator (ZICs). ZICs are then supported by District Resource Centre Coordinators (DRCCs). All of these are pre-existing roles within the Zambian education system.
• To enable, support, and enhance teacher use of the ZEST Lesson Study Approach, ZEST provides teachers a Teachers' Toolbox containing both traditional and digital resources and tools. The Teachers’ Toolbox includes:
  • • Nine active teaching approaches
    • Audio and video resources to explain and exemplify the nine approaches
    • TESSA OER library
    • TESSA Curriculum guide linking TESSA OER to the Zambian school curriculum
    • Revised Zambian school curriculum
    • Training Handbook
    • Teacher group meetings guide
    • Teacher notebook to record reflections
    • Local resources to support student learning

All the resources and tools in the Teachers’ Toolbox are currently text-based to ensure that all teachers can access them. They were initially printed for teachers in Cohorts 1 and 2 but the project now provides resources to subsequent cohorts via Raspberry Pi devices using an SD card. These devices allow teachers to access materials offline and can also act as a wi-fi hub. Schools appoint a “digital champion” trained by World Vision. The digital champion then supports other teachers in their school to contextualize learning. In the current phase of the project (Phase 2), up to 420 schools will be provided with Raspberry Pi devices. Where possible, teachers are encouraged to use their smartphones (if they have them) should there not be enough Raspberry Pi devices for the teachers to share.

ZEST provides a strong example of working within and enhancing existing systems through working with education officials and the already established lesson study format of TPD that preceded ZEST. During the pandemic, the project adapted by  engaging in remote support via WhatsApp to form informal communities of practice (COPs) and for general communications, and through workshops on Zoom.

At the end of the project in 2022, the training program and resources will be made available online and free from copyright to teachers and educators throughout Zambia, thus enhancing sustainability.

Introduction

PRONIE is a partnership between the Ministry of Public Education and the Omar Dengo Foundation to provide Costa Rican students opportunities to learn how to use digital tools to strengthen learning, creation, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration. The goal of the TPD component of PRONIE is to strengthen competencies for effective teaching supported by the use of technologies. It includes guidance, pedagogical support, and the promotion of innovative, constructivist learning experiences that are tailored to the needs and interests of the different teachers who participate in the program.

PRONIE’s TPD program is based on four main principles: 1) a framework of teacher competencies for the educational use of ICTs; 2) the promotion of good practices for professional development; 3) application of principles of the andragogical model; and 4) use of "universal design for learning" standards. It offers several pathways including:

1. Educational Informatics Laboratories (LIE):
   Online courses that last approx. 40 hours. Most of the online courses are voluntary and last between 6 to 8 weeks, with an average weekly commitment of 3 to 5 hours.
2. Learning with Mobile Technologies (ATM):
   40 study hours are distributed in two days of face-to-face sessions (16 hours), 16 hours applying learning with students, and one face-to-face closing day (8 hours).
3. Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Employability (EIE):
   To strengthen Costa Rican technical education, the program collaborates with industry to upskill teachers in aligning program competencies to industry certification in the areas of programming, operating systems, connectivity and networks, cyber security, industrial automation, data analysis, design and digital manufacturing, and equipment support and maintenance.

Key features of the PRONIE TPD model

• Training activities are supported and supplemented by a variety of digital didactic resources (videos, animations, infographics, etc.), specialized materials, and microlearning content linked to pre-identified topics on which teachers require the most support and inputs to improve their work. The open online courses are available for free to all teachers in the country on the Upe virtual campus (https://www.upe.ac.cr/) run by the Omar Dengo Foundation with the Ministry of Public Education.
• Compulsory courses are taken during working hours. Attendance, completion, and results are reported to the regional Ministry of Public Education for accountability and tailored follow up.
• There are also voluntary trainings with a plan to implement a digital system for monitoring, follow up, and contact with the teacher participants that will generate reminders, recommendations, and messages of encouragement. Teachers receive counselling from an advisor including follow-up support online, via telephone, and in some cases face-to-face. The ratio of facilitators to learners depends on the type of professional development activity.
• Participation in online learning communities on the Upe virtual campus, exchange with mentors (advisors or other peer teachers), participation in regional exchange meetings, and participation in competitions in good teaching practices are also promoted.
• A variety of teacher learning assessments are used to evaluate teacher progress. These include formative and summative online tests at the end of each module; assessment tasks assessed by advisors; and teachers engaging in classroom practice activities, documenting this, presenting their experiences, and receiving feedback from peers and advisors.
• To facilitate access to the open online courses, PRONIE provides educational centers with software, hardware, and connectivity, with a specific focus on inclusion by geography, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status (including indigenous territories and extreme rurality). This includes institutions in peri-urban and rural areas as well as institutions with populations with special educational needs.

In terms of scalability, the self-managed online offer has the potential to reach more regions at a low cost. The peer-to-peer support system for teachers also has potential to scale to more teachers in more locations. The program is exploring how follow-up support can be made more scalable. Since 2019, this has consisted of 1) answering queries via WhatsApp, email, and Messenger; 2) mass mailings; 3) regional teacher exchange meetings; and 4) personalized advice and support for selected teachers and schools. A series of complementary actions are also being carried out to encourage teachers to share and disseminate good teaching practices with the use of technology (e.g., Inspiratec Competition and Network of Leading Teachers).

In terms of access, PRONIE is national in scale: in 2019, it reached 92.2% of teachers from pre-school to Grade 9. From 2016 to 2018, online courses had an average completion rate of 58% and an average pass rate of 33%. Of the face-to-face and blended  learning offerings, about 67% of voluntarily and compulsorily enrolled teachers passed, with a retention rate of 86%.

Introduction

The ICT4RED initiative was a research, development, and implementation program designed to change the way teachers teach with technology in their specific context over a period of three years.

The program’s challenge was to identify and introduce appropriate technology (devices and other supporting ICT infrastructure) in ways that would improve teaching and learning engagement, support sustainability beyond the initiative, and ensure true integration into existing education processes while managing challenging logistical and infrastructure problems.

ICT4RED tailored the applied technology to the specific educational needs of the target schools. Only after the educational needs were identified and the pedagogical approaches to address these were decided on was the relevant ICT — tablets in this case — introduced.

Key features of the ICT4RED model

• Adopting a pragmatic application of Mishra & Koehler’s (2006) TPACK framework, ICT4RED adopted the following blended approach:
  • • Ten TPD modules were created and made available to teachers under an open license on easy-to-use, relatively low-cost, and durable Android tablets that can be used in offline mode (a pragmatic approach).
    • The TPD curriculum incorporated some implied game elements that were derived from a survey of play theories and adapted to introduce the TPD sessions.
    • The modules (and face-to-face sessions) were aimed at a broad spectrum of teachers rather than being phase- or year-specific. Hence, teachers, as context experts, became co-creators of content as they adapted the activities for their own needs and classes.
    • Each TPD module had clear goals and targets that were articulated as badges (26 in total). Some were compulsory (13 badges); the others, “challenges” (13 badges). To earn a badge, teachers had to show evidence of having used the ideas from the module in their own teaching. Criteria were communicated clearly to the participants at each TPD session, and badges were celebrated and awarded in a transparent and fair manner.
    • There was an “Earn as you learn” component: Teachers were told that they would have to complete all the compulsory badges in order for ownership of the tablet to be transferred to them. Once a certain number of teachers in a school had completed particular badges, these schools were awarded additional technology such as projectors.
    • Later iterations of the project also emphasized more structured reflective practice among teachers, schools, and local district office staff.

Teachers, head teachers, principals, and district officials were involved in co-designing the program, specifically in the initial phases and subsequent iterations informed by design science methodology. The focus of the program  emphasized the support and empowerment of teachers and those around them to effectively use technology to teach and impact learners, thus highlighting their agency and unique professional needs.

ICT4RED achieved very high completion rates for the badges. Modules from the program published under an open license are now being used in other TPD programs.