A regional assessment on pre-teacher training curriculums in alignment to early literacy evidence

• In Event: An 8-year perspective on the progress and challenges to increase educational attainment in the CAC region

Proposal

One of the key obstacles to obtaining quality education in Central America and the Caribbean is the insufficient formation of their teachers.

Teacher education programs in the region generally provide insufficient support for their students to master the content they will be expected to teach, the pedagogical knowledge on how to teach that content in the classroom, and skill development; they are also typically isolated from the school system and the formulation of educational policies during their time in these programs.

The Central American and Caribbean Early Literacy Network (RedLEI) designed, implemented, and published a regional research study focused on pre-service teacher training of EGL in the region. The analysis triangulated information obtained from the following sources: (1) a mapping of the pre-service literacy curricula against an evidence based EGL conceptual framework, (2) interviews with pre-service teacher trainers and their students, and (3) observations of pre-service teacher training classes. The results of this research indicate that pre-service teacher training curricula were not sufficiently aligned with the international recommendations and evidence, both in terms of what teachers should know, and how to teach children to read and write successfully. The training that teachers receive is insufficient to meet the challenges of EGL learning and could be a significant factor influencing the region’s low scores on standardized tests in comparison to other countries in the LAC region.

Considering that learning to read and write, well and on time, is fundamental to ensuring success in other learning and staying in school, updating and improving teacher training programs is a priority that must be addressed urgently. Strengthening the training of instructors in these areas should also be a priority. Changes in programs should be based on a clear theoretical position on EGL that is grounded in the coherence of all components of the curriculum, and should include knowledge of teaching specific methodologies for instruction in the various skills included in EGL, teaching reading and writing in the mother tongue and in a second language, and teaching EGL for disadvantaged and disabled populations; expand opportunities for supervised practice with feedback; include training in the design, selection, and use of instructional resources; use assessment results to regulate and modify instruction, including identifying children’s skill levels, and the ability to adjust practice to those varying levels in the same classroom (level-adjusted instruction).

The presentation seeks to provide scholarly and politically relevant information at a timely moment that can provide insight on how to reduce the learning loss the region faces as an effect of an irregular school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent political changes in the region. The findings seek to promote discussion and changes in policy to ensure EGL teacher training aligns with the most up to date evidence.

Author

• Carolina Bodewig, Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas