The priority now is to support teachers in their professional development: joint initiatives of ETF and ERI SEE in South Eastern Europe
In 2018, the Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE), in collaboration with ETF, set up the Teacher Professional Development Network for South East Europe, The network which includes representatives from 8 economies aims to generate and share knowledge and good practice to improve professional development for teachers in the region.
With support from the Republic of North Macedonia and from ETF, ERI SEE launched a study on teacher education and training needs analysis systems in March 2020.
The study, which covers 8 countries of the region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo*, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and Serbia), will collect evidence for future improvements of the systems used for analysing teachers' needs for trainings and continuous professional development (CPD) and for evidence-based policy making. The investigation will be conducted by a team of local researchers who will combine desk review with semi-structured interviews aiming to 1) show, based on the analysis of the actual data available, the current situation in 8 participating economies regarding identification and implementation of teachers needs for training and CPD; 2) make comparison between the economies, identify challenges and make recommendations for improvements in needs analysis.
The research is being coordinated by a Steering Group which includes representatives of Ministries and national agencies across the region. The report is planned to be ready by the end of April 2020 and it will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders and through knowledge sharing platforms.
The study is the first part of a larger research activity. In the next phase, a survey will be carried out to investigate the training needs of teachers with respect to digital competences and a mapping of relevant, existing training provision. Alongside this research, ETF is working with stakeholders in the region and with JRC to explore how use of the EU’s self-assessment tool, SELFIE, can be scaled up.
Finally, ETF is planning the SEET regional event “Working together to make digital education and training reforms happen”. The conference, structured with parallel sessions and thematic workshops, will gather delegations from all SEET countries including policymakers and education professionals, EU key players in the region and other regional and national bodies/stakeholders active on digital skills and learning policies and practices development. The event is to take place in Turin on 22-23 June 2020, pending confirmation due to Kovid-19 emergency.
Are you interested in teachers’ professional development in South Eastern Europe? Are you a teacher and you want to share your story? Write us and stay tuned with ETF and ERI SEE actions.
#SouthEasternEurope #NeedsAnalysis
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
This is a well timed initiative, The post-COVID-19 season, when the lockdown of schools gradually end, will bring new scenarios in which the use of technologies in education and training will be more prominent and blended with traditional methods. The new season will come also with a lot of interesting cases of digital learning used during the emergency that could better inform teachers and trainers' digital skills and competences needs.
Finally, the above referred ETF event will be a milestone in the process (hoping very much that the COVID-19 will allow us to meet and work together on this topic...)
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