{"id":84681,"date":"2025-08-21T11:58:49","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T15:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/summaedu.org\/?p=84681"},"modified":"2026-01-23T10:19:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T13:19:27","slug":"uwi-summa-kix-lac-education-cycle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/summaedu.org\/en\/news\/kix\/uwi-summa-kix-lac-education-cycle\/","title":{"rendered":"Closing the Capacity-Building Cycle for the Implementation of the Associate Degree in Primary Education, led by SUMMA \u2013 KIX LAC and the University of the West Indies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since 2022<\/a>, the KIX LAC Hub<\/strong> \u2014an an initiative promoted by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)<\/strong> of Canada, and led in Latin America and the Caribbean by SUMMA<\/strong> and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)<\/strong>\u2014has been collaborating with the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus (UWI)<\/strong>, on the reform of the Associate Degree in Education (ADE) in Primary Education. The initiative aims to strengthen initial teacher education in the Eastern Caribbean through the use of international evidence. In its initial phase, the project was supported by IDRC and the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and in its second phase, starting in November 2024, it also received support from the Rassmuss Foundation.<\/p>\n

In November 2024, a technical mission was carried out in Barbados and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines<\/a> with the goal of advancing the review of the new ADE Primary curriculum through dialogue among academics, teacher educators, and school system representatives. Regarding this collaboration, Javier Gonz\u00e1lez, Director of SUMMA<\/strong>, highlighted: \u201cFor the past three years, we have been working together with the University of the West Indies to transform the Primary Education Diploma curriculum, so that all new teachers become true transformative agents, promoting greater equity and quality in the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

In January 2025, the Eastern Caribbean Joint Board of Teacher Education (ECJBTE) held its annual meeting at UWI\u2019s Cave Hill Campus, where UWI, the Eastern Caribbean countries, and their colleges reaffirmed the importance of launching the new ADE curriculum with a process of socialization and adaptation to national realities. Under the theme \u201cEducational resilience through evidence-based teacher education\u201d, the event brought together ministries of education, colleges, and teacher associations from across the region to discuss ways to strengthen initial and continuous teacher education, as well as the use of evidence in teaching.<\/p>\n

\"\"
ECJBTE Meeting \u2013 January 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/h3>\n

Teacher Education Capacity-Building Sessions in the Eastern Caribbean<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

The first session<\/strong> took place on March 20\u201321 with the participation of approximately 60 people and was structured into three workshops addressing key areas of the new ADE curriculum. The first, on effective pedagogical practices, focused on the use of positive feedback and was facilitated by Dr. Karin Roa (Universidad de los Andes). The second, led by Alix Anson and Clara Hodge (Rassmuss Foundation), centered on literacy and reading comprehension strategies. Finally, the third workshop, facilitated by Dr. Carmen Montecinos (Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Valpara\u00edso), focused on reflecting on the current structures of teaching practicum programs in the Eastern Caribbean teacher colleges.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we are proposing is that theory and practice are in a dynamic relationship: theory is not learned in isolation, but rather by incorporating it into practice, which in turn helps refine its understanding.\u201d \u2013 Carmen Montecinos, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Valpara\u00edso<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The second session<\/strong>, held on April 10\u201311, addressed effective pedagogical practices, literacy, and teaching practicum. The first space focused on the use of metacognition in teacher education and its application in the new ADE curriculum. The second, facilitated by the Rassmuss Foundation, focused on phonemic awareness, strengthening skills in literacy, and the design of reading and writing strategies. The third promoted curriculum analysis and institutional planning, encouraging participants to reflect on the coherence between full-time and part-time programs and to identify improvements for their practicum models. Collaborative work between teacher colleges and UWI was also reinforced to move toward a coherent implementation of the curriculum.<\/p>\n