Flip the cascade: A bottom-up approach to teacher education in Tajikistan

• In Event: Defying assumptions: Cascade teacher education models that work.

Proposal

The cascade training model is often considered to be an effective mode of training a large number of participants within a limited period of time. Typically, central level trainers deliver training – through various layers – to those at the local level, with training flowing from experts through several personnel, and ultimately to teachers. Similarly in Tajikistan, trainers within the cascade were assigned at the national level and mainly stemmed from urban areas. This approach left many districts, communities, and schools without any support and guidance following training activities and served as a root cause of the absence of true reform. Additionally, education stakeholders at all levels protested the model for its inability to improve local training capacities and provide experts available for continual support.

To improve upon the traditional cascade model, an alternative approach is being implemented by the USAID/Tajikistan Learn Together Activity (LTA), a program designed to improve reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, and mathematics in Tajik primary school learners. LTA is flipping the cascade by approaching teacher training from the bottom up. LTA and the Republican In-Service Teacher Training Institute piloted a nationwide, 28-week teacher training program across 400 schools in Tajikistan, focused on decentralizing teacher professional development down to the community level. Community-Based Methodological Units (CBMUs) are essential to the pilot, as they were established to provide mentoring and other expert support to teachers. Using a blended learning model to train CBMUs, they are able to assist teachers in mastering the integration of effective teaching techniques into lessons through the See It, Name It, Do It model. Teachers were now able to see what they are asked to learn and apply, analyze every step of the new teaching techniques, and practice using this technique during the training. As a result, national trainers and training monitors provided feedback from classroom observations that teachers are applying the innovative classroom management techniques at an appropriate level. At their core, CBMUs create local capacity to support reform initiatives, innovations in teaching and learning, and respond to protests for communities to have their own trainers and mentors.

To date, over 250 CBMU-level trainers enrolled in the training program and over 4,100 teachers have improved their instructional planning skills, designed students’ learning exemplars, defined the knowledge and skills for each competency, and differentiated classroom instructions to meet the range of different student needs. Findings from the pilot are promising: trainings proved to be cost-effective for teachers; the flexible training approach enabled teachers to easily stay or get back on track; and introductions to a limited number of teaching techniques during training allowed for deep learning and application. Moreover, with four levels of monitoring and mentoring at the regional, district, CMBU, and school levels, the quality of teacher training was enhanced.

Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the bottom-up approach to the cascade model, supporting teachers to learn and practice their skills. We will share how these findings will inform programmatic adaptations to further enhance sustainability.

Author

• Fayziddin Niyozov, Chemonics International Inc