Transcript Aga Khan Health Services Conference Prince Aly Khan

Transforming Teachers’ Practices
in Afghanistan
Dr. Mir A. Tajik
February 20, 2013
Afghanistan
Current Scenario of Education
• Decades of war (which still continues)
has devastated every sector including
education
• Teachers either left the country or
joined the warlords’ army
• Schools & Universities were bombed or
turned into prisons or militants camps
• Girls were banned from going to
schools
• Mass exodus of the critical mass /
social capital
Key Issues
• Lack of qualified & trained teachers
resulting in recruitment of untrained and
old age teachers
• Poor, unhygienic and unsafe physical
facilities
• Outdated curriculum and ineffective
exam system
• Centralized & bureaucratic management
structures
• Lack of encouragement for private
sector to invest in education
Educational Initiatives
In order to transform the education
system the following initiatives have been
taken:
• The Afghan govt. has given significant
priority to education;
• Country-wide efforts for educational
reform;
•
Funding from international agencies;
• Curriculum frameworks and standards
are being developed
• Capacity building & construction of
schools
AKU-IED Initiatives
AKU-IED started its capacity building initiatives in
Afghanistan in 2004 in collaboration with:
• Aga Khan Foundation, Afghanistan
• Aga Khan Education Service, Afghanistan
• German Embassy in Kabul
• GIZ Afghanistan
• Ministries of Education & Higher Education, Afghanistan
Objectives
To develop the capacity of
Afghan teachers, teacher
educators, and school
leaders for effective delivery
of curriculum, instructions,
leadership practices, and
school improvement
programs.
Capacity Building Programs
• Enroll Afghan Students in MEd
program;
• Offer tailor-made Certificate
Courses;
• Offer Continuing Professional
Education Courses;
• Arrange Alternate Exposure Visits;
• Conduct Policy Dialogues
• Provide School-based Support
System
Evaluation Study
• The study was grounded in the “Objective-based” framework
(Owen & Rogers, 1999);
• The study focused on AKU-IED’s program objectives:
• Knowledge Enhancement (Improved knowledge and
understanding of teaching & learning, pedagogies,
assessment, leadership & management….)
• Skills Development (Improved skills such as reflective
practice, classroom management, leadership…)
• Application of Knowledge and Skills (application of new
knowledge & skills in their schools….)
• Dispositions (positive attitudes and values….)
Research Questions
• The study was guided by the following
questions:
• What were the stakeholders’ expectations of
the AKU-IED’s programs?
• To what extent these expectations were met
by the programs?
• In what ways these programs have
contributed to capacity building at individual
and institutional level?
Methodological Frame Work
• The study questions were addressed by using
Guskey’s framework (2002) of exploring:
• Participants’ & stakeholders’ reactions to the
programs;
• Participants’ & stakeholders’ learning from
the programs;
• Organizational support and change;
• Application of new knowledge and skills
Sample
• Research Participants included:
• Randomly selected graduates/participants;
• School heads / administrators;
• Leadership of partner organizations;
• Officials from MoE & District Education
Departments
• Graduates’ fellow teachers and students
• Programs Facilitators
Data Collection
• Data collection by neutral teams;
• Questionnaire;
• Semi-structured interviews (individual &
focused-groups);
• Observations;
• Document Analysis;
• Facilitators Reflections.
Findings
1. Stakeholders’ Reactions/Expectations
• Welcome by teachers community, Academics
• Reluctance & apprehensions by some in Governance
and Management
• High expectations – AKU can solve all problems
• Sensitivities around religious identities
• Comfort about cultural similarities
• Perceptions about themselves being knowledgeable
and thus no need for any PD program
Findings
2. Unlearning and Relearning
• Moving away from ‘learning by listening’ to
‘learning by doing’
• Changing the culture of ‘Islamization’ of
teaching and learning’ practices
• Departing from delivering sermons to
focusing on skills development of teachers
• Moving away from producing ‘good’ disciples
to active learners and critical thinkers
• Seeing themselves as a community of
learners rather than as isolated individuals
Findings
3. Revisiting Practices / Values
• Breaking the boundaries of gender
segregation, regionalism, and
hierarchies
• Moving away from pessimism to
optimism towards peace,
development, and educational reform
• Making maximum use of available
resources rather than lamenting the
scarcity of resources
• Thinking globally
Findings
4. Enhanced Knowledge and Skills
• Generating/acquiring knowledge beyond the textbooks
• Engaging students in discussions/debates on topics
relevant to daily life (social cohesion, peace, tolerance)
• Getting into the habit of reflection – questioning one’s
own ideas / actions/ leadership style
• Beginning to give constructive feedback than
unnecessary praise or mere criticism
• Learning new, more enjoyable ways of teaching and
learning / leadership
Findings
5. Application of new knowledge and skills
a) At Classroom Level:
• Introducing activity-based and learner-centred teaching
methods in schools;
• Use of formative assessment, focusing on assessment
for reinforcing learning;
• Curriculum enrichment and use of supplementary
materials in schools;
• Interactive and less formal environment
Findings
5. Application of Knowledge and Skills
b). At School Level:
• Introducing PD activities for fellow teachers (seminars,
workshops, critical friends)
• Organizing co-curricular activities (debates, celebration
of important days, guest speakers, seminars)
• Delegation of tasks and team work (school development
plans, committees…)
• Parent –Teachers Committees
Findings
5. Application of Knowledge and Skills
c) At Community Level:
• Community mobilization towards education / school
• Resource generation (established computer labs,
libraries, built washrooms through community support)
• Strong school-community coordination in increasing
access
• Gender awareness and participation
• Community education
Conclusions
• Cultural awareness and background in Islamic
education greatly helped to avoid sensitivities and to
make the content and pedagogy relevant for
participants;
• School improvement is possible through developing
critical mass at each district;
• The MoE needs to devolve the management to districts
and then to schools;
• There is a need for the international agencies working in
Afghanistan to work in coordination to achieve the
synergy required to bring about educational reform