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Innovations on teacher professional development from the Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) initiative - Research learnings from country experiences

Tue, March 12, 9:30 to 11:00am, Hyatt Regency Miami, Floor: Terrace Level, Hibiscus B

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Teacher Professional Development (TPD) is on the agenda of every education system and there is a global consensus that good teaching is key to make an impact on the learning process. As a topic, TPD has been the subject of continuous scrutiny and study, but still new research and discussion is needed to identify ways to transform traditional and ineffective practices. For example, offering the same massive training to the whole teaching force does not generate real and useful changes in individual teaching practices. Also, new challenges emerged during the pandemic of Covid 19 such as the need for teachers strengthen their digital skills as part of innovative responses to education in crisis situations. Some advances show that essential characteristics of TPD programs have been identified and can be useful in the conceptualization and implementation of future TPD programs in low and middle-income countries, including large-scale programs funded by governments.
Among many of the new emerging contributions, this panel will discuss findings from the Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) on TPD. Launched in 2019, KIX is an initiative that funds applied research projects and promotes exchange on key challenges facing education systems across the Global South. TPD is one of the thematic areas under support. Four KIX Regional Hubs identify innovations on the subject and facilitate exchange between countries so that they can learn and adapt new experiences relevant to their context at national and subnational levels. At the same time, KIX applied research projects on TPD span more than twenty countries. And a synthesis study based on KIX research projects is in progress that will bring emerging evidence on scaling education innovations on TPD in the Global South and will identify and address knowledge and capacity gaps that continue to challenge education systems.
KIX research and exchange on TPD issues explore in different ways how teachers can be supported through innovative approaches to ensure students’ effective learning, including vulnerable children. Gender equality dimensions, attention to inclusiveness and scaling aspects of innovations are an integral part of ongoing developments. Major sub-themes covered in these projects include strengthening 21st Century Competencies, modalities of TPD (like mentorship and EdTech), matching technology choice with professional learning needs, strengthening the knowledge and pedagogical skills teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and supporting teachers in rural and vulnerable sectors.
Even if successful experiences - including pilots that are part of research projects- show promising results, the up-taking of these results and learnings by governments and other education stakeholders is not automatic. The proposed panel gives the floor to participants that bring together their experience to discuss challenges on the knowledge production on effective TPD and supporting its up-take at the national level. They will offer insight in how they are building knowledge mobilization into their work, and actually having success in supporting knowledge use.

The panel addresses CIES 2024 questions about how collectively challenge and change the status quo in education, particularly regarding TPD and adopting a system-transformation approach. This vision includes alternatives to adopt evidence aimed to transform current practices on supporting teachers. Co-creation, participation and exchange are key components in these initiatives that seek to improve and adapt current TPD offerings.

Participants in the panel include speakers from four KIX applied research projects and from the KIX- Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and Pacific Hub. The panel will offer research findings from a number of grounded examples, and the discussant will bring the broader insights developing through the KIX synthesis study on TPD. Speakers will develop their intervention to share findings and evidence from their work that relates to the following two sub-themes:
• Use of research results in the education policy process related to TPD.
• Challenges for country up-taking of key findings coming from the research and exchange process.

Selected topic for the panel:
Educational Alternatives: Global Examples of Concrete Praxis

Participants
Chair / discussant
Five speakers

Format
The 90-minute panel will consist of structured presentations by the five speakers. After an introduction to the panel by the Chair, there will be one bloc of five 10-minute presentations. The Chair will follow with 5-minute comments and there will be 30-minute open discussion with the audience.

Sub Unit

Chair

Individual Presentations