Primary Teacher Preparation: Higher Education Partnership - Morocco

• In Event: Poster Group 5
  In Poster Session: Primary Teacher Preparation: Higher Education Partnership - Morocco

Proposal

Morocco was a French protectorate from 1912 until 1956. Although the protectorate lasted only 44 years, French influences continue to be reflected in educational structures and practices. As an independent nation, Morocco is committed to improvements to the education system with the following priorities: (1) equity and equal opportunity, (2) quality for all, and (3) individual fulfillment and social progress (Conseil Supérieur de l'Éducation de la Formation et de la Recherche Scientifique [the Council], 2015). In this presentation, we describe the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) funded Higher Education Partnership-Morocco (HEP-M) which was design to support the Moroccan Ministries’ of Education efforts to meet the three educational priorities set by the Council by enhancing teacher preparation across Morocco (SDG 4). HEP-M is a national effort to achieve the Kingdom’s educational priorities through effective collaboration across teacher education institutions and regions, elevating the voice of faculty, and engaging multiple education actors. Morocco’s higher education system follows the French system, including a three year licensure program at the undergraduate level. Given this structure, Morocco’s teacher preparation system is bifurcated. Preservice teachers receive the majority of their theoretical training at universities and then attend a regional training center (Centre Régional des Métiers de l'Education et de la Formation; CRMEF) for additional practical training. NOtably, the universities are governed by the Ministry of HIgher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation (MOHE) and the CRMEFs are governed by the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sport (MOE).

We will engage with participants to discuss effective ways to communicate across autonomous institutions for a coordinated and comprehensive approach. For example, HEP-M created Research and Development Groups (R&DGs), consisting of teacher preparation faculty across all 24 institutions preparing teachers from the 12 Moroccan regions. Through this structure, the members of the R&DGs were able to increase alignment and reduce redundancies across the curriculum, as well as ensure preservice teachers across all regions of Morocco were receiving access to the same high-quality content. In retrospect, we would have provided more training on the context of the Moroccan education system for ASU faculty members working with members of R&DGs. Additionally, we would have provided a framework for reviewing and revising curriculum which provided more frequent feedback loops. Finally, we would have accounted for the amount of time needed to create meaningful relationships within and across Moroccan teacher preparation faculty, as well as with US based partners. The HEP-M project has had a positive overall impact on primary teacher preparation across the Kingdom of Morocco by creating a well-connected network of Moroccan experts in teacher preparation. Further, the emphasis on local engagement means that the newly revised curriculum was developed and vetted by Moroccan faculty. Roughly 300 faculty members from across institutions and regions were involved in this process. Ultimately, nearly 50 > syllabi were revised and are set for pilot implementation in Fall 2023.

Authors

• Wendy Peia Oakes, Arizona State University

• Tanya Pinkerton, Arizona State University

• Alexander Kurz, Arizona State University

• Nicole L Thompson, Arizona State University

• Setrag Hovsepian, Arizona State University

• Abdessamad Fatmi, Higher Education Partnership - Morocco (HEP-M)