Supporting and upskilling teachers are essential to enhancing the quality of learning in developing contexts -the focus of Education For All -yet little evidence exists concerning what kinds of teacher education are actually most effective and what changes in "quality" are desired and feasible. This paper illustrates how a concrete, research-informed school-based, model of professional development in sub-Saharan Africa can address the quality agenda. It reports on a trial of a pioneering, multimedia programme supporting interactive mathematics and science teaching using open educational resources and classroom digital technology, where available. The programme was carefully adapted to the Zambian context and ran weekly for one school year with 12 teachers in a low-resourced, primary school. The study examined the impact on teachers' thinking and classroom practices. Data were derived from observations, lesson and workshop recordings, teacher interviews, portfolios and audio diaries. Through a teacher-led workshop approach and trialling new pedagogical strategies, teachers raised their expectations of pupils, adapted to learners' knowledge levels, used more practical and group work, and integrated technology use. Pupils built deeper understanding of subject matter, were actively engaged, worked collaboratively and used digital technologies for problem solving.
This paper examines the supporting and constraining factors influencing professional learning about interactive teaching and mobile digital technology use in low-resourced basic schools in sub-Saharan Africa. It draws on a case study of iterative development and refinement of a school-based, peer-facilitated professional learning programme ("OER4Schools") that integrated use of mobile technologies, digital open educational resources and interactive pedagogy. The research and development involved teachers in three Zambian primary schools and culminated in an extensive multimedia resource. Using an ecological framework, factors emerging were characterised at three levels: teacher, school, and the wider community and policy context. They include school organisation and leadership, teacher motivation and perceptions of opportunities for professional learning and change, teacher views of pupil capabilities, availability of resources, teacher collaboration, and viewpoints of parents and policymakers.
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