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Adaptive ICT solutions for teacher professional development and coaching program in India’s madrassas schools

Tue, April 16, 8:00 to 9:30am, Hyatt Regency, Floor: Pacific Concourse (Level -1), Pacific A

Proposal

Madrassas schools in India, though traditionally predominantly focused on religious studies, are attempting to wed the traditional and the contemporary to ensure that students have the skills required to find work and excel in their positions in a modern economy. Professional development for teachers is an essential part of this reform movement. This paper presents how a professional development and teacher coaching program to improve participatory teaching methodologies among madrassas school teachers in India was scaled and sustained through the use of "crowd sourced" mobile technology. Drawing on teacher participation, retention, and professional knowledge skills and assessment data from over 400 participants, the presenter will showcase how teachers improved their professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards peer learning throughout a nine-month program. Through iterative review, identification of real-time learning barriers including limited electricity, low-bandwidth, and digital literacy limitations among teachers, and fostering community-led development of adaptive ICT solutions, the program was able to increase teacher retention as well as teacher performance and student learning throughout a three-year intervention. Drawing on evidence of behavior change throughout the two year program, which included expansion across three cities in India, the presenter will explore how design that addressed principles of digital development contributed community resilience among teachers and the ability to scale and sustain programming to achieve teacher development goals. The presenter will also provide recommendations for how blended learning and coaching programs can be designed for limited resource settings.

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