Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Teacher Empowerment, Rakhshinda Meher, Asghari Ummulbanin, Firdous Lalwani

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

Literature reveals that “teacher empowerment” (to become an active decision-maker) is considered a key element in successful school reforms. Despite the many educational reforms that have been executed in Pakistan, limited work has been done for teacher empowerment; as a result, the expected outcomes were not achieved. To facilitate the teacher empowerment process, the Aga Khan University-Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) under USAID Project-III, planned and implemented a series of professional development programmes for rural and suburban teachers from Non-Governmental Organizations and Community-Based Organizations (NGOs and CBOs) working in the education sector of Sindh. The focus of these programmes was …

Challenges And Learning Opportunities Involved In The Professional Development Of Mathematics Teachers Within The Government Sector, Sardar Ahmed Khan, Nadeem Asghar Kirmani

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

As Professional Development Teachers (PDTs), we have been working in the government sector for the last several years to improve the profile of Mathematics teachers within the sector. Our experience of the Professional Development of teachers suggests that working in the government sector is not an easy task. However, neither is it an impossible one. The government’s system faces varied challenges in tackling the professional development needs of teachers. The most important one is the capacity of the professional staff to undertake this mammoth job. Secondly, there is a strong need to change the perceptions of policymakers to consider the …

Pdt Pathways, Zeenat Shariff, Ruth Otienoh

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

After completing the Master of Education (MEd) at Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED), most Professional Development Teachers (PDTs) enter a foggy zone where they have to grope to make a place for themselves. This paper is based on the experiences of two PDTs who found different paths to work on teachers’ professional development. The first PDT works as a school-based PDT, and hence the experience focuses on classroom teaching, student assessment, working with teachers at the school and the broader experience of working on professional development programmes. There is also an element of outreach as this PDT …

Researching Practice, Practicing Research: Impact On Teaching And Learning, Bernadette Dean, Rahat Joldoshalieva, Antipas Chale, Farah Huma, Haji Karim, Mukobe Margaret, Nakhat Abdulofizov

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

An action research study aimed at finding out the potential of the instructional strategies (whole class discussion, cooperative learning and inquiry) taught at AKU-IED on student learning is being carried out in three phases in five developing countries served by AKU-IED. The seminar presentation will focus on learnings from the first phase of the research. It will focus specifically on identifying the possibilities and challenges PDTs face in preparing teachers to involve the whole class in discussions and in the teachers using it in their classrooms. It will also focus on the nature of discussions in the classrooms in different …

Head Teacher's Role In School Improvement, Zulfiqar Ali

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

After completion of my studies at Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED), I reported back to my parent organization Aga Khan Education Service for Pakistan in the first week of July 2002. I was posted in Aga Khan Girls High School Ovirk, Garamchashma as a headmaster on August 5, 2002. This school is situated in a very backward area of district Chitral. After joining the school I held meetings with teachers and members of the school management committee to introduce myself and also to get their views about the future of the school. I realized after the meetings …

A Reflective Paper, Yasmeen Bano

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

After graduating from the AKU-IED in 1998, I worked as the head teacher of a secondary school and am now working as the Program Officer with a team of PDTs for various schools. In both the roles, I got enough opportunities to work for programme development, teacher education and school improvement. I got opportunities to work in the school as a part of the school staff and I also got a chance to work for the schools as a part of the resource team. Based on the reflection of these experiences, I have drawn some lessons for school-based teacher educators. …

The Impact Of Studying Impact A Discussion Paper, Fauzia Shamim

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Planning Impact Research: Issues And Dilemmas, Anjum Halai

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Moving Towards Educational Leadership, Nadim Farooqi, Saeed Nasim, Iffat Nayyar

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

Educational leadership focuses on building a shared vision, improving communication, making decisions collaboratively and remains consistent with the desire to bring about school improvement. Literature reveals that if head teachers / managers’ practices are not consistent with the above-mentioned areas of leadership; the expected outcomes of schools become difficult to achieve. In order to build leadership capacity for school / organizational improvement, Aga Khan University-Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) has offered various professional development programmes under the USAID Project III to the collaborating Non-Government Organizations / Community Based Organizations (NGOs / CBOs) working in the education sector of Sindh. These …

Impact: Making A Difference, Abdul Hameed Lone, Abdul Jahan, Anila Kiani, Bahadur Ali Khan, Safida Ayoub, Shakoor Muhammad

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

The purpose of this document is to explore the diversity of perspectives on school improvement. It also chronicles the programme activities at PDCN, the rationale and evolution of the model Whole School Improvement Programme (WSIP), and the process and modus operandi of the working team of PDCN. It also portrays the modified version of WSIP, its impact on school improvement and the challenges that have emerged from it, along with our recommendations for further improvement.

Impact Analysis: Experiences Of A Ugandan Professional Development Trainer, Fred Tukahirwa

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

Creating impact or making a difference in my school system is an issue that boggles my mind everyday I wake up to go to (and return from) work. This is mostly so when I am involved in facilitating a workshop or programme. Such questions as: will the teacher participants learn something (new) they can implement in their classroom(s), or how will I know that they have learnt it and later implement it in their classroom, always ring in my mind. An attempt has been made to document the likely impact on teachers I work with. Some of the highlights are …

A Study On The Impact Of Adult Literacy And Coaching Centers, Hurmat Khan

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

This paper discusses the impact of the educational interventions (the Adult Literacy Centers (ALCs) established by The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) and Coaching Centers (CCs) run by the Aga Khan Education Service (AKES,P) in the Northern Areas of Pakistan in the regions of Baltistan and Nagar. The communities of both these regions have been reluctant to mobilize women for education. The centers were opened in order to change this perception, as well as to create an environment in which females could contribute to the overall development of these communities. More than 200 ALCs and 39 coaching centers are …

Achievements And Challenges In Chitral, Zulfiqar Ali, Jalal Wali, Mohammad Ismail, Muhammad Khan, Zubaida Khanum

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

So far eight teachers of Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan (AKES,P), Chitral, have graduated from the AKU-IED and are performing different roles under various capacities. The AKES,P runs 51 schools for girls and provides technical support to more than 30 community-based schools in District Chitral. It has one Regional Education Office and four field offices to facilitate educational activities. Professional Development Teachers (PDTs) play diverse roles such as training officer, education officer, field operations officer, and head teacher and teacher educator. The management of the AKES,P determines roles for the PDTs according to the needs of the system. Their roles …

Action Research And Impact Studies: Possibilities And Dilemmas, John Retallick

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Learning To Teach Science Using A New Strategy: A Case Study Of A Primary Science Teacher, Nelofer Halai

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

Constructivism has emerged as the dominant learning model in science educational reform. Despite this, there is a paucity of research studies on instructional strategies that might help the construction of knowledge that is in consonance with the established body of science. The use of activities based on discrepant events in teaching science at the primary level is seen as one way of encouraging this construction. Hence, Science Teachers enrolled in science methods courses / programmes at AKU-IED are exposed to this instructional strategy. The four-member team of science teacher educators, teaching on an eight-week in-service programme, chose to look at …

The Multiple Roles Of A Professional Development Teacher (Pdt), Tasneem Shabbar Zaidi

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

School improvement can be conceived broadly as encompassing the whole range of areas related to the school such as curriculum, human resources, the physical environment, and financial resources. Each of these areas, in turn, is itself immensely broad. This presentation will highlight the particular role played by a Professional Development Teacher (PDT) and Principal in contributing to school improvement in a local trust-operated school. Seventy-six per cent of the staff members of the school are graduates of various programmes conducted at Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED). The focus will particularly be on the purpose and procedures of …

Ongoing Impact Of The “Advanced Diploma In Education: Mathematics”, Anjum Halai, Munira Amirali, Nadeem Kirmani, Razia Fakir Mohammad

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

The Action Research Project in Mathematics Education was undertaken to study the impact on teaching and learning, of strategies introduced in the Advanced Diploma Programme in Education: Mathematics (2003), offered by AKU-IED. This programme is a one-year field-based programme. The main aim of the programme is to develop exemplary teachers who are reflective practitioners. Teachers from sponsoring schools participate in the programme which is designed such that seminars are held at AKU-IED during summer and winter breaks and on Saturdays, when most schools are off. During term time tutors visit the participants in the school. The purposes of field visits …

Tracking Graduates Of Aku-Ied’S Med Programme: The Classes Of 1999, 2000 And 2002, Noman Ul Haq Siddiqui, Gordon Macleod, Al-Karim Datoo, Amin Rehmani, Anila Khatri, Saadat Mond

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

In each of the years 1997, 1998 and 2000 a new cohort of course participants joined the two-year MEd programme at the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development in Karachi, Pakistan (AKU-IED). Some two years later 87 or 92% of the entrants graduated from the programme and returned to their respective employers or systems. This paper focuses on the employment of and roles played by these 87 ‘completing’ course participants before they entered and then after they exited from the AKU-IED MEd programme. The paper is based on interviews with the 87 graduates carried out some one year and …

Bumble Boosters: Doing Science As A Community Of Learners, Douglas A. Golick, Marion D. Ellis

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Bumble bees are an excellent organism for engaging high school students in research. They are a recognizable insect and an important pollinator, and much remains to be discovered about the biology of many species. Bumble Boosters was a teaching and research project funded by the Nebraska Lottery’s Educational Innovation Fund. The project began in June 1999 and ended in June 2002.

Rethinking Philosophy:A Proposed Model Aimed At Improving The Philosophy Of Education Within Hospitality Management In Ireland, Colin O'Connor

Theses

This study explores the philosophy of higher education within hospitality management education in Ireland. The central aim of this study is to develop a model to assist educators examine and improve their philosophy of hospitality education. The study reveals the positive contribution that the philosophy of education can make to educators of hospitality management and the hospitality industry. The purpose and role

of educational philosophy is both a fundamental and valid concept for those involved in

higher education and hospitality management education. The study reviews current literature in the tield of educational philosophy and

hospitality management education. An in·depth qualitative …

Science Teacher Education And The Nature Of Science: A Voice From Pakistan, Nelofer Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

The purpose of this paper is to advocate that tenchcrs be encouraged nnd helped to develop an overt and deaf epistemological understanding of the methods and structure of science, i.e., the nature of science (NOS). I have tried to define the concepts that constitute NOS essential for school science. I also want to highlight some of the challenges faced in attempts to introduce NOS in inservice teacher education in Pakistan.

Prospects And Challenges Of School Leadership In Pakistan, Muhammad Memon

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Working With Teachers: Practical Suggestion Stimulates Teacher’S Self-Reflection, Harcharan Pardhan

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Education In Costa Rica: Best Practices And Beyond, Trey Fitch

Perspectives In Learning

Costa Rica is considered to be the most developed of the Central American countries because it has a relatively high Gross Domestic Product per capita as well as best indicators of life expectancy at birth, infant mortality rate, and adult literacy rate (United Nations Development Program, 1999). Much of this success has been attributed to its progressive education system. Costa Rica is one of the few countries in the world to exist without a national military system, consequently, more money can be diverted into educational programs. The adult literacy rate is near 95% and rivals the United States where the …

School Leadership In Pakistan: Exploring The Headteacher’S Role, Tim Simkins, Charles Sisum, Muhammad Memon

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

There is a good deal of consensus in the literature about the key role of leadership – especially that of the headteacher – in facilitating school improvement. Yet much of the research in this area has taken place in Western industrialised countries. This article explores the issue of headship in the context of schools in a specific developing country context, that of Pakistan. Drawing on 2 studies of the experience of headteachers in Karachi, the article identifies and explores the key variables that may contribute to a sense of personal efficacy for these heads, namely the expectations generated by the …

The Impact Of A Professional Development Program: Case Study From Pakistan, John Retallick, Shahzad Mithani

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

In the context of a developing country with enormous problems in the quality of school education for the majority of children, this article seeks to reveal some insights into the impact of one teacher development program in two schools. The Advanced Diploma in School Management (ADISM) program was conducted by the Aga Khan University, Institute for Educational Development in Karachi, Pakistan, where there is increasing interest in studying the impact of all programs. An action research method was employed to develop case studies of two program graduates as they sought to bring change to their schools based on strategies of …

Curriculum As Practiced In Pakistan, Nilofar Vazir

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

From 1995 to 1999, as a teacher educator in Pakistan teaching on professional development programs, my colleagues and I were able to address some needs and interests of primary school teachers. After obtaining a degree in teacher education I was better equipped with the skills required for designing, implementing, and evaluating the curriculum. I also gained further insight into teaching and learning through the fieldbased component. A "need analysis" determined teacher selection for our field component, with the overarching principle being to select teachers who considered change to be relevant. Other selection criteria included teachers who were willing to bring …

Expressivist Pedagogy In The High School English Classroom: A Handbook For Curricular Integration, Michel Beth Pola

All Graduate Projects

Research in the area of written composition concludes that individuals learn about themselves, about their subject matter, and about their community through the process of writing. Expressivist pedagogy encourages writing as a process and utilizes writing as a way to shape meaning. It places high value to the writer's sense of self and the writer's ability to create change in the community. A review of related research and survey of current best practices in the secondary language arts setting led to the development of an expressivist-based resource toolbook. This resource book was designed for teachers to help integrate expressivist pedagogy …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Professional Development, Christine Scheffert Lowden

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Perceptions Of Elementary School Teachers Regarding Preparedness And Inclusionary Practices Of Classified Students In Public Elementary Schools, Melanie Littell North

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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