📋 Tender Overview
Project ID
110514
Total Funding
CAD 2,000,000.00
IDRC Officer
Margarita Lopez
Project Status
Active
Duration
33 months
Summary
Research consistently shows that effective and quality teaching significantly influences students' academic achievement as well as overall quality and equity of education. Teachers can only succeed if they receive adequate preparation through high-quality initial teacher education (ITE). ITE serves as the first step in a continuous and integrated journey of teacher professional development. However, ITE programs have been critiqued for being predominantly theoretical. They often lack sufficient support for pre-service teachers to be innovative in their classroom practices and responsive to new challenges.
This project will conduct applied research on scaling pathways for Design Thinking, a process that allows teachers to assess student learning and teaching environments, identify challenges, and develop and implement innovative practices to improve student learning outcomes. The project will target ITE training institutions in Kenya, Tanzania and Pakistan.
This project aims to increase knowledge about how ITE can be reformed to better meet the needs of teachers and students, including through a focus on teacher agency and autonomy, 21st Century skill acquisition and active, student-centered learning. In partnership with trainee teachers, teacher educators and practicing teachers, the project will co-develop a set of actionable tools and guidance on Design Thinking. In addition, it will develop teacher education policy frameworks for each focal country and two to three peer-reviewed journal articles. Gender, equity and inclusion will be embedded in all aspects of this project from its inception.
This project is funded under the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Knowledge and Innovation Exchange), a joint endeavour between the GPE and IDRC to connect expertise, innovation and knowledge to help low- and middle-income countries build stronger education systems and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goal on education.
