Transcript Education in Malawi - University of Strathclyde

Malawi: Improving the training of
primary school teachers
Amanda Corrigan
University of Strathclyde
Purposes of the project
• Universities of Scotland
• Build capacity for a sustainable B.Ed (Primary)
degree at Chancellor College, University of Malawi
• Build capacity in Teacher Training Colleges to
develop high quality, well-informed teacher training
for primary teachers.
Malawi implemented free primary education in 1994.
Pupil numbers increased rapidly from
1.9 million to over 2.8 million.
more than 100
ClassThere
sizescan
are be
huge
children in one class.
Schools need teachers ...
... and teachers must be skilled.
Teaching needs to be active.
It needs to provide practical
support to help understanding.
But many teachers rely on
how they were taught.
The project develops the capacity to
ensure that effective teaching and
learning takes place.
.
The B.Ed (Primary)
• Teacher Training College tutors upgrade
from Diploma to B.Ed with a 2 year full-time
course.
• 80 students over 8 years
• Involves university-based work and an
inquiry-based placement in a primary
school
Building capacity on different levels
• University of Malawi - links with Scottish academics regular visits, shared development work, international
networks and publications
• TTCs -sustainable model for primary teacher training
• Schools - builds a vision of good practice
– Students design a literacy or numeracy inquiry/
intervention
– work with their class and with school staff to address
this literacy or numeracy issue
• National - seminars on primary education in Malawi for
policy makers, managers and school staff
Cohort 1 Evaluation
Common themes
Impact on:
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knowledge
attitudes
pedagogy
skill-base
If I look at theories of
learning, I can now
understand them better.
We can tell our
students about the
situation in the primary
school because we
were there. We tell
them how learners
behave in the class
and what they can do
to make things better.
We benefited a lot from learning
that we can use local resources
for literacy and language. … It
shouldn’t be an excuse that there
are no books because we can
find resources everywhere. For
example, we use the writing on a
biscuit packet.
In the past, students were
taught content and then
asked questions. … I
would have said if it was
right. Now there is more
space to debate what is
right, and what is right in
different ways.
Students in science and
technology are encouraged
now to ask questions and to
use critical thinking skills.
We use games and
stories: students have
the opportunity to
write and create
stories because there
is a limited number of
resources on
placement.
I said to the student, “By the
time I come back, I want you to
find a solution to this problem
– you have to create an impact
on this school and you have to
encourage the staff to adopt a
solution to the problem.”
Impact: the B.Ed. Students -
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Responsibility
Promotion
Further study
Esteem
- “We are respected now as learned people.”
Impact: the Teacher Training Colleges
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Student experience
Curriculum
Action Research
Advice and formal support for other staff
Impact on placements schools
Principals have more flexible staff with better
professional skills who are trained to meet the
challenges of teaching in Malawi
The First National Primary Education
Seminar
National policy makers, local authority
staff, head teachers and teachers attended.