Partnering with Liberian Universities to Improve Pre-Service Teacher Training
Photo credit: Messiah Investment
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Photo credit: Messiah Investment
Support the government of Liberia in improving pre-service teacher education in early childhood education and primary grades.
TESTS is working to strengthen the capacity of higher education teacher training institutions to (1) educate teachers, (2) acquire and apply evidence-based teaching skills in the early childhood and primary years, and (3) improve the enabling environment in which teachers operate.
By providing two years of support, including scholarships, to a minimum of 3,500 aspiring teachers and supporting them through professional development and mentorship opportunities, Liberia will have a robust pipeline of well-educated and qualified teachers ready to provide a high-quality, inclusive education for students.
With funding from USAID and in direct partnership with the Liberian Ministry of Education and the National Commission for Higher Education, the TESTS Activity (2021–2026) is focused on improved pre-service education of teachers so that they can deliver high quality, inclusive education for students in early childhood and the early grades.
TESTS is applying lessons learned from the USAID Read Liberia Activity, which saw improvements in reading scores in grades 1 and 2, as well as more engaged students and increased involvement of families in the learning process.
TESTS is focused on system alignment and collaborates with the Ministry of Education and the National Commission for Higher Education, and other partners, to support eight higher education teacher training institutes (HETTIs) to:
At the core of this approach is a focus on adaptive management: learning from incremental improvements, progress, and shortfalls, while feeding this learning back into TESTS’s collective work.
TESTS is working with each HETTI to ensure all curriculum and teacher training efforts are inclusive of marginalized populations, including rural women and persons with disabilities. Applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and inclusive education strategies throughout teacher preparation activities will ensure that the next generation of Liberian teachers can support all students to learn.
To promote inclusion within the teaching workforce, TESTS provides scholarships and conditional cash transfers to cover the costs of tuition, fees and living expenses of aspiring teachers, prioritizing women and people with disabilities as recipients.
Most teachers in Liberia only have a teaching certificate without a college/university level degree. Through TESTS, aspirant teachers will gain either an associate or bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or primary education, significantly lifting their level of qualification. In addition, a large component of TESTS is professional development among the faculty and leadership at the HETTIs so that they can sustain the high standard of pre-service teacher education that TESTS is working to achieve.
Teacher aspirants are also reinforced by HETTI faculty advisors who coach them, ensuring performance and retention as well as addressing obstacles that students face. As part of their study, aspiring teachers are placed in demonstration schools where they receive hands-on practice. During their practicum they are mentored by practicing teachers that have been trained by TESTS to play this role. Skilled faculty advisors and mentor teachers are part of the systemic improvement to the education of teachers that TESTS is delivering.
Learn more about RTI’s work in international education.