Project
Strengthening Teacher Education Programmes in Cambodia
Teachers are the most important school-level factor influencing student learning. Recognising this significant role of teachers in developing its human resources, Cambodia has prioritised teachers and education quality in the reform of its education system, as affirmed in Cambodia’s National Statement of Commitment at the UN Transforming Education Summit in 2022, Pentagonal Strategy – Phase I (2023) and Education Strategic Plan (2019-2023; 2024-2028, forthcoming).
91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ been collaborating closely with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) to support Cambodia’s education transformation with a quality teaching force through the Strengthening Teacher Education Programmes in Cambodia (STEPCam). STEPCam is one of the largest teacher education programmes in Cambodia with a total investment of USD $27.02 million. STEPCam Phase I was implemented from 2018 to 2022 with USD 14.4 million grant financed by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). Phase II will be implemented over three years starting in 2024, with a total budget of USD 12.62 million through the GPE System Transformation Grant. STEPCam emphasises comprehensive and robust capacity building and system strengthening, investing in the development of a high-quality, professional and competent teaching workforce throughout the continuum of their careers – from quality pre-service teacher education to continuous professional development (CPD) and career pathways advancement, training and mentoring support for classroom teachers, and systematic approaches to ICT in education to enhance teaching and learning quality.
Key achievements under Phase I (2018-2022):
- National Teacher Professional Development System: Developed and established a first-of-its-kind national CPD system, with the capacity to provide professional development opportunities for over 130,000 teachers and education staff in Cambodia.
- Early-Grade Learning Teacher Training: Over 4,000 teachers trained on student-centred, play-based Early Grade Reading packages and nearly 3,000 teachers trained on Early Grade Mathematics materials, benefiting more than 230,000 students.
- Education Data Management: Over 130,000 education staff members’ profiles managed through the upgraded Human Resource Management Information System; nearly 34,000 student data managed in the Student Tracking System for better monitoring of learning outcomes.
- Teacher qualification and competencies upgrading: Development of the nation’s first-ever MEd programme on Primary Education; qualifications of 67 teacher educators upgraded through the new Bachelor of Education programme and 465 teacher educators’ competencies in learner-driven and ICT-based pedagogy upgraded through the blended INSET programme.
- Quality of teacher education and ICT in education: 11 Provincial Teacher Training Centres with upgraded infrastructure and facilities, including Wi-Fi systems, libraries, computers and science laboratories, benefiting over 240 teacher educators and nearly 1,300 primary school teachers annually.
STEPCam Phase II builds upon the success and achievement of Phase I and contributes to the strategic objectives outlined under Cambodia’s developmental and education reform agenda. The programme interventions are underpinned by the joint commitment of UNESCO and the MoEYS to contribute to Cambodia’s progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 for Education by 2030.
The Phase II programme comprises a coherent set of interventions across four mutually reinforcing Components:
- Component 1: Teacher Education, supporting Teacher Education Institutions to cultivate teaching excellence through quality pre-service teacher education programmes and to serve as institutional leaders in the provision of CPD and teacher research.
- Component 2: Teacher Professional Development, expanding and strengthening the system of CPD to be able to match teacher development needs with quality professional learning opportunities.
- Component 3: Classroom Learning, building capacity for effective early grade learning (EGL) so that teachers have the competencies and support needed to facilitate the development of strong foundational skills among their students.
- Component 4: Digital Transformation in Education, preparing teachers and teacher educators with the strategies and competencies needed to facilitate learning that harnesses the effective and ethical use of digital technologies.
Through a holistic approach to teacher development with innovative interventions, STEPCam contributes to improving teacher training and development, promoting innovative teaching practices, supporting teacher professional development, advancing classroom learning, driving digital transformation, and building an inclusive and equitable education system, so that every child has access to quality education and the opportunity to reach their full potential.
