Progress made in collaborative project between SUMMA and the University of the West Indies for Effective Teacher Training in the Eastern Caribbean

July 15th, 2023.

15 de July de 2023

KIX

The University of West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, School of Education (SOE), with the support of SUMMA – the Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Education in Latin America and the Caribbean – and the Eastern Caribbean Joint Board of Teacher Education (ECJBTE), which oversees the main initial teacher training programs in the Eastern Caribbean, carried out a review of their teacher training programs to incorporate the knowledge and skills teachers need to meet the demands of the 21st century.

As part of this project, initiated in September 2022, a series of interviews were conducted with officials and leaders from Ministries of Education, teachers, school administrators, and student teachers. A thorough literature review was also carried out on optimal and effective teacher training practices, as well as case studies of educational systems known for their successful transformations worldwide, such as Finland, Canada (Ontario), Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand.

Through this process, it was observed that a recurring factor in some of the best teacher training systems worldwide is the presence of opportunities for future teachers to forge their professional identity (e.g., Singapore, Ontario). Teacher identity and self-esteem are often linked to appropriate professional conditions and social recognition of their role in society. This also attracts the best candidates to pursue initial teacher training studies.

Subsequently, with the wealth of information gathered, SUMMA developed a report consisting of two complementary studies and their subsequent outputs: an assessment of the general and specific needs of the state’s teacher training programs, and a reference to the most effective teacher training strategies from the best teacher training systems globally. A complementary objective of both studies was to determine the presence of effective pedagogical practices (EPP) – feedback, collaborative learning, and metacognition – in the SOE programs and international trends in teacher training. These EPPs are particularly considered by SUMMA, with the support of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), in their efforts to improve teacher training policies and practices in Latin America.

Key Findings

The UWI/ECJBTE teacher training programs were well-regarded regarding the theoretical aspects of training, but there were concerns about the practical components.
There is a clear demand for more practical and relevant knowledge applicable to real Caribbean schools, as well as for the incorporation and adaptation of pedagogies to diverse classrooms in cognitive and cultural terms, paying special attention to socio-cultural minorities. Several studies indicate that teachers trained in schools with a more diverse cognitive and social composition in their classrooms tend to perform better and develop greater expertise in their teaching practices. These findings align with the central role of educational inclusion that initial teacher training programs must foster to create more inclusive educational systems.
There is a need to strengthen the role of ICT content and skills in the teacher training curriculum, along with enhancing the technological infrastructure and resources at SOE and the faculties delivering the program, as well as adequately preparing and updating faculty members on ICT teaching strategies. This is crucial to address the growing challenges posed by the suspension of face-to-face teaching and learning in schools and universities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- - Cross-cutting themes were identified that should be incorporated into teacher training programs (gender awareness, resilience, sustainable development, innovation, and entrepreneurship).
  - Whenever possible, a practical component should be included in teacher training programs (e.g., internships).
  - There is a need for continuous professional development for teacher educators.
  - The important role of research in teacher training was highlighted.

Effective Teaching Practices as Content and Experiences. Conclusions.

Effective teaching practices (collaboration, feedback, and metacognition) are fundamental to the revised curriculum and are integrated into courses and learning experiences.

Effective teaching practices as content: In both content methods and foundation courses, there are many opportunities to work with student teachers in context, adding meaning to their learning and helping future teachers develop a repertoire of skills they can use with their students.
Effective teaching practices as learning experiences: The incorporation of these practices into the teacher training curriculum shows that collaborative learning, feedback, and metacognition are recognized and considered by local and international actors and systems, in diverse and mainly cross-cutting ways. Teacher training can be carried out through the learning of effective practices that are expected to be replicated, as seen in Finnish training, for example. Thus, future teachers must incorporate models and repertoires that allow them to respond to the educational challenges they will face in contemporary education, through effective student-centered pedagogies. In this regard, there is an interesting opportunity for SOE teacher training programs to innovate their curriculum by incorporating some of the most effective pedagogical practices in current education.

Collaborative Teams

UWI Coordination Team

Joel Warrican (Team Leader). Director of the UWI School of Education, Chair of the Eastern Caribbean Joint Board of Teacher Education, and Director of the Caribbean Educational Research Centre
Verna Knight (Review Coordinator)
Coreen Leacock (Academic Coordinator of ECJBTE)
Jason Marshall (SOE Faculty Member)
Judy-Ann Auld (Postgraduate Student/Research Assistant at CERC)
Bibi Kadir (Postgraduate Student)