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English teacher training, enhanced by mTech

A model for teacher training

A comprehensive RME framework

Evidence of impact at (reasonable) scale:

Tom Power, Director, English in Actionthe Open Universityt.j.m.p.power@open.ac.uk

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A £50M DFID funded project for the G.o.Bangladesh

• to reach 25 M people• English language for social and economic purposes• Primary & Secondary Schools• Adult learners

Partnership:

BMB Mott McDonald, BBC Word Service Trust,

the Open University,

UCEP

FIVDB

3 x 3 year phases

• R&D with 800 teachers, 20,000+ students to 2011

• 16,000 teachers in phase 2011 - 2014

• 110,000 teachers by 2017

English in Action

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•existing teacher training institutions cannot hope to meet the needs of the 21st Century...most teacher education … will happen in schools... …it will be practically focussed on improving the day to day work of teachers… … we have the glimmer, perhaps more, of hope offered by new technologies and new forms of communication.

an approach to achieving impact at scale?

(Moon, 2007)

A.Rahman on BRAC-PACE (2006)

“most reform attempts have suffered from a lack of planning… not providing supportive resources…

lack of co-ordinated long-term focus…

In spite of a general improvement in T’s knowledge about ELT….

there is little evidence of much difference in classroom practice”

Previous approaches to ELT teacher training in Bangladesh

• the approach in most lessons did not encourage a communicative approach...

• throughout the lessons, teaching from the blackboard was the predominant approach...

• teachers also read from the textbook and asked closed questions, or moved around the classroom monitoring and facilitating students as they worked individually.In 90% of the lessons, no other

pedagogic activities were observed

Pre-EIA classroom practices

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scale

impact

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“There really is no evidence to suggest the use of language laboratories improved the efficiency of language learning overall...

computers & language labs?[Computers for language learning are] “...something of an oddity ...no clear method or best practice for using them.”

(Milton, 2002, p16-17)

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recorded audio?

“...multiple examples of good practice...[which] can yield immense learning gains...”

(Milton, ibid)

peer support through meetings and visits;wider project support

support beyond school

professional development materials for teachers and classroom use,new tools, HT & peer support

support in schoolnew

classroom

activitiesfor teachers &

students

Supporting changes in classroom practices

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school based peer-supported

ODL

enhanced by MTech

high impact on practice

achieving large scale

bringing target language into the classroom

cost-effective

the EIA model for impact at scale

Research, Monitoring & Evaluation indicators

98% of teachers (primary & secondary) were confident to use the EIA technologies and materials for their professional development, and in their classroom practice.

“EIA is not like other projects. In other projects we go for training and after the training is finished everything is forgotten when we go back to the school”

Secondary teacher from Khulna

Indicator 1: Reach

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are needed to see this picture.

Impact 1Substantial increase in teachers’ spoken English

71% of all observed primary T talk now in English.

86% of all observed secondary teacher talk now in English.

Impact 2Substantial increase in students’ speaking, and speaking English

On average, over 1/3 of all observed lesson time now given to student talk.

Most (88%) observed student talk now in English, in both primary and secondary EIA classrooms.

Impact 3Substantial Increase in students’ participation in communicative practices

e.g. in typical primary lesson: there were 12 minutes student talk, of which there was: 5 minutes choral 3.5 minutes individual2 minutes group2 minutes pair

Based upon direct observations of 491 teachers’ classroom practice, triangulated with 152 T interviews; 900 student group interviews, and 1,693 secondary student questionnaires.

Indicator 2: Impacts on Practice

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Indicator 3: Impacts on English Language CompetenceTeachers’ English Language

Competence

Based upon independent fieldwork by Trinity college assessors, carrying out diagnostic interviews with1,104 students and 96 Teachers.

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Indicator 3: Impacts on English Language CompetencePrimary Students’ English Language

Competence

Based upon independent fieldwork by Trinity college assessors, carrying out diagnostic interviews with1,104 students and 96 Teachers.

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Indicator 3: Impacts on English Language CompetencePrimary Students’ English Language

Competence

Based upon independent fieldwork by Trinity college assessors, carrying out diagnostic interviews with1,104 students and 96 Teachers.

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SummaryA model for achieving impact at scale, through teacher training

• School Based• Peer-supported ODL• Enhanced through MTech

A comprehensive RME framework

• Reach• Classroom Practice• Target Competence

Evidence of impact at (reasonable) scale: 800 teachers;20,000+ students

• Student participation• Tt & Ss use of English • Competence in English

Tom Power, Director, English in Actionthe Open Universityt.j.m.p.power@open.ac.uk