Better Teaching for Quality Learning
Description
Large-scale international comparative researches (TIMSS, PISA, PIRLS) have been provided information on state of the educational systems and factors that contribute learning. New findings of these research demonstrate that high qualification of teachers is one of the fundamentals of the good educational system. In effective educational environment teachers endorse disciplinary learning, connect students in joint and interesting tasks, encourage collaboration and develop interactive learning (even without special equipment). The examples of such teaching approaches can be found in the majority of the countries of the Central Asia and Eastern Europe region. However, most of teachers still use methods that focus mostly on acquisition of factual knowledge, learning is predominantly a teacher-led activity with frontal teaching and correction of mistakes being the most widely used methods (about 85% of the time in participating countries). Inadequate funding and lack of equal access to good education for teachers continues to be an issue undermining education quality in most of the project countries. Education quality continues to be low thus calling for a search of new approaches in addition to increased budget support. In case of these countries one of the approaches (low-cost interventions) that can help to overcome these common issues is finding and distribution of teaching methods that already being practiced and led to the highest learning outcomes in the region. \r\nThe methodology of the project includes assessment of teaching practices in schools where the educational results are the highest (data from schools is received through national or international comparative education research), studying and analysis of the teaching practices from that school, their generalization, description and further distribution among teachers through in-profession training. For assessment of the teaching practices several tools were developed: Tool for Diagnosing Teaching Practices and Teacher Education in cognitive Non-regular Areas of Mathematics. The implementation group conducts research in determined schools with the use of these tools. The results of these research then processed, and the outcome is a set of teaching practices demonstrated the highest results. \r\nThe dissemination of the practices is performed through the short-term courses (distant and in-classroom) and published project materials. The short-term courses for teachers are developed and implemented in cooperation with the leading institutions for the further training and center that work to support teacher’s profession in countries. Courses incorporate findings of the assessment and offer an effective approach for teaching strategy that includes instructions and structured lessons.
The project is aimed at capacity building of the teachers from developing and low-income countries with accordance of the target 4c of the 4th SDG. By joining the course teachers get opportunity to receive a set of learning experiences: lecturers, interactive practical tasks, peer reviews, forum with colleagues, homework and certification after the course is done. The approach is based on coaching and will provide teachers with access to expert in order to improve teaching strategies under the supervision and continuous follow-up and support.\r\nTo grow professionally without leaving workspace teacher requires more than just short-term course. The project offers core practice framework that was developed in cooperation with colleagues at the Russian Center for Formative Assessment. Framework offers a rigorous professional learning program for skilled teachers devoted to student-centered teaching. The framework is distributed for schools that confirmed participation in the project. Providing structured pedagogical strategies and lessons techniques directly to teachers as a part of their professional activity (especially in schools where conditions are unfavorable due to low financing) is the low-cost and effective intervention. The results of interventions will be measured within the longitude studies.\r\nThe technology transfer from countries that demonstrate bigger advantage in education is a fundamental basis of the project. The need for obtaining new teaching approaches an essential part for the developing and low-income countries in their search for the better development strategy for education. It hence seems reasonable for these countries, that have limited access for teacher education and limited investment capacity, to explore and adopt technology transfer from partners. Technology transfer from out of the country often comes up against an unflattering situation. In case of this project those possible interferences are eliminated by the long history of cooperation, partnership, economical and cultural ties between countries.
ECA-CES is a focal point for the partnership under the BQTP. It was founded to promote and accelerate research activities and inform policymaking in education in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Countries that form ECA-CES carry similar legacy in educational approaches and share a lot in common in many spheres of life. That’s why any kind of partnership between these countries comes naturally. The need for the ECA-CES raised from the understanding that researchers from this region encounter many difficulties including methodological (access to data collection), cooperation with colleagues and research results dissemination. In overall the research data in this region is not widely used in policymaking. The ECA-CES helps to overcome these difficulties and serves as a platform for increasing the production and use of research data and evidence in education policy and its’ further implementation. The ECA-CES aimed at achievement of the Fourth Sustainable Development Goal in the region. ECA-CES provides resources for the project conducting, liaising with organizations and authorities of countries, support to promotion and results dissemination.\r\nThe BTQLP is a partnership launched by the members of the ECA-CES Thematic Group “Teaching methods”. Members of ECA-CES form Special Interest Groups (SIG) of the society under umbrella of different educational thematic. The members of SIGs work together to look for solutions to overcome issues in education and approaches to accelerate achievement of the 4th SDG in the region. The activities within the Project include creating new scientific evidence and data, promotion of awareness for existing evidence, providing policy-makers with access to evidence, increase ability to learn from what did not work and what worked better and better mapping to avoid duplication among researchers.\r\nThe implementation group of the project consists of educators from Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It includes researchers, former teachers and specialists of the national centers for education quality assessment. Together they work on gathering information on what matters in teaching the most and how to improve teaching to receive better learning outcomes. Members of implementation group have different responsibilities within the project: communication with schools and other organizations, data collection and processing, organizations of discussions, reporting, etc.\r\nThe project also includes cooperation with organizations in countries that help data collection such as schools, local educational authorities and media agencies and organizations that responsible for further in-profession teacher training.
SDGS & Targets
Goal 4
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
4.1
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes
4.1.1
Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex
4.1.2
Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education)
4.2
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education
4.2.1
Proportion of children aged 24–59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex
4.2.2
Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex
4.3
By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
4.3.1
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex
4.4
By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
4.4.1
Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
4.5
4.5.1
Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated
4.6
By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
4.6.1
Youth/adult literacy rate
4.7
By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
4.7.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment
4.a
Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all
4.a.1
Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service
4.b
4.b.1
Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships
4.c
By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States
4.c.1
Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level
Goal 17
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development
17.1
Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection
17.1.1
17.1.2
17.2
Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries; ODA providers are encouraged to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries
17.2.1
17.3
Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources
17.3.1
Additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries from multiple sources
17.3.2
17.4
Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress
17.4.1
Debt service as a proportion of exports of goods, services and primary income
17.5
Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries
17.5.1
Number of countries that adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for developing countries, including the least developed countries
17.6
Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism
17.6.1
Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed
17.7
Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed
17.7.1
Total amount of funding for developing and developed countries to promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies
17.8
Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology
17.8.1
17.9
Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation
17.9.1
Dollar value of official development assistance committed to developing countries
17.10
Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda
17.10.1
17.11
Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020
17.11.1
Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global exports
17.12
Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access
17.12.1
Weighted average tariffs faced by developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing States
17.13
Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence
17.13.1
17.14
Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development
17.14.1
17.15
Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development
17.15.1
17.16
Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries
17.16.1
Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
17.17
Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships
17.17.1
Amount in United States dollars committed to public-private partnerships for infrastructure
17.18
By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts
17.18.1
Statistical capacity indicators
17.18.2
17.18.3
Number of countries with a national statistical plan that is fully funded and under implementation, by source of funding
17.19
By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries
17.19.1
17.19.2
Proportion of countries that (a) have conducted at least one population and housing census in the last 10 years; and (b) have achieved 100 per cent birth registration and 80 per cent death registration
SDG 14 targets covered
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Contact Information
Artem Neverov, Executive Secretary