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Years of Implementation: 2020-2022

Budget: USD 435,000

Donor: The International Development Research Centre (Canada) as part of the GPE-KIX (The Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange)

Location: Uzbekistan

National partners: Avloniy Research Institute of Ministry of Public Education of Uzbekistan, Agency for Presidential educational institutions of the Republic of Uzbekistan

#SDG4C By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training

Background:

Quality of education are directly linked with teacher professional development (TPD), to improve learning outcomes and results governments should invest in effective teachers professional development and enhance teachers capacity by equipping them with modern pedagogical skills. As many countries in the region, Uzbekistan recognized the scale and the urgency of the challenges facing their TPD systems and introduced two new continuous professional development models supported by UNESCO. The new TPD models of Uzbekistan intend to serve to expand the equitable access to teachers for in-service trainings as well as to overcome major challenges in education system that exacerbated with COVID-19.

Within “Adapting and Scaling Teacher Professional Development Approaches in Ghana, Honduras and Uzbekistan” projcet, UNESCO examined how the Teachers Professional Development at scale (TPD@Scale) approach can be used in Uzbekistan to improve equitable access to quality teacher professional development. More specifically, project developed a framework and guidelines for adapting, implementing, evaluating, and continuously improving upon proven TPD@Scale models, or core components of such models, in the Uzbek context and for different sub-groups of teachers, as an approach to scaling in-service teacher training.

Throughout the project implementation period the existing teachers assessment practices, teachers in-service training curricula, and the national standards of teachers’ qualification system, particularly pedagogical, technological, organizational factors, were scrutinized so to evaluate the impact on the inclusivity, quality, and efficiency of TPD. Through a comprehensive needs analysis, teachers’ ICT readiness, and the various professional development needs of different subgroups of teachers were identified, and major issues and gaps in the traditional TPD model were spotted, as well as the two TPD Models are being developed, tested and adapted into the education system of Uzbekistan.

The two TPD Models of Uzbekistan cover following segments of the education system:

1. Model for teachers of creative, gifted, and special needs children
2. Model for teachers of the public education sector (for over 500,000 primary and secondary education teachers)

The model moves the focus away from the subject-based approach, and towards a whole-of-school approach. First, school principals and teachers undergo the training together; second, the teachers participate in online training modules engaging with mentors. Teachers gain reflections with professional learning communities (PLC) and apply the knowledge and experiences they acquired to their classroom teaching. Classroom application is considered as the key element for this model, as well as teachers’ self-assessment through, not only students’ academic performance, but also their emotional well-being. 

The Project conducted first field testing phase in eight schools located in four regions: Khiva, Nukus, Namangan and Tashkent city in order to explore teachers TPD experiences through in-depth individual and focus group interviews with the participation of 69 participants: teachers, mentors, school principals (5-11 grade teachers by eight subjects) during September-November 2021. 

The model provides teachers four TPD opportunities to choose from, offered by regional TPD Centers, private TPD centers, universities, and onlinedu.uz platform. The Model is based on credits and serves as a platform to peer learning communities, which allows exchange of ideas and practices between teachers across the country.

Previous TPD model was limited to offer teachers to get their in-service training only once in five years, with rigid curricula with rote learning of subject-based knowledge and pedagogical methodologies, while teachers’ learning needs and competencies were not assessed and monitored.

The project has also supported the strengthening of the as integral parts of the TPD model of Uzbekistan. This platform help expand professional learning communities (PLC), where teachers reflect and assess their knowledge, and distance learning opportunities, where teachers can learn any relevant topics for their professional development anytime and anywhere.

UNESCO analyzed the sustainability and scalability of the two models through comprehensive field research in six different regions, with a participation of a total of 295 different subgroups of teachers. Pilot schools and research participants were selected considering gender, social and economic factors, and geographic representation, in order to adequately study and represent the needs and TPD experiences of teachers in different subgroups, and address equity, quality and inclusion issues in their professional development.

As part of this project, and for strengthening the component of the TPD Model on teachers’ peer learning through methodologists, UNESCO in partnership with  Ministry of public education organized the national capacity building event for methodologists and lead teachers of Uzbekistan for knowledge and practice exchange approaches for the teacher’s professional development on 10 -10 August 2022 in Tashkent.

The Forum brought together more than 300 methodologists, teachers and school principals from all regions of Uzbekistan, representatives of national stakeholders in public education system, international and national experts in teachers’ professional development, as well as members of the academia from various education institutions.

The two-day forum enhanced educational personnel capacities, improved their professional practices, and equipped them with the new generation pedagogical skills and tools to support teachers in their professional development and foster knowledge exchange process as part of their ongoing professional development.

In addition, to improve equitable access to quality teacher professional development and teaching resources, UNESCO Tashkent Office in partnership with Agency for Presidential educational institutions developed the teachers’ guidebook for innovative pedagogy in Uzbek language named “Yuksalish sari 45 daqiqa” (45 minutes for advance). The practical guide for innovative pedagogy serve as a desk reference to teachers on learner-centered classroom teaching by enabling blended learning and soft skills development approaches and integrate the concept through lesson planning and classroom practices; provide explanations through theory, case studies and practical activity so teachers can adopt these practices according to their needs and subject areas. In remote areas where there is limited or no access to internet and/or technology, this guidebook helps compensate for missing skills and practice through adapting contemporary pedagogical approaches, offering best practices and lesson plans.