Teacher mentoring, coaching and networking: A scalable and sustainable approach to advancing teacher effectiveness in crisis contexts and beyond

• In Event: Realising the triple nexus approach: engaging teachers and other stakeholders in education and emergencies research

Proposal

Evidence consistently shows that teachers are the single strongest determinant of education quality (INEE, 2019; Mendenhall et al., 2021), especially in low-resource contexts where they are often the only resource in the classroom. However, insufficient pathways to gain teaching qualifications, inadequate and poorly designed in-service professional development opportunities, and a lack of recognition for the teaching profession mean teachers are left feeling underprepared, unvalued, and demotivated. This is particularly the case in contexts affected by crisis and displacement where teacher professional development is sporadic, uncoordinated, and of varying quality.

[Anonymised organisation] has developed and tested an innovative Teacher Mentoring, Coaching and Networking (TCMN) approach to drive improvements in teacher effectiveness during and beyond immediate crises. This nexus-based approach, which combines training, ongoing mentorship, and peer-to-peer learning, supports teachers to advance their pedagogical skills while also prioritising their own wellbeing and resilience. The model relies on strong collaboration with the national education actors and structures that oversee education delivery and teacher quality, with the goal to not only strengthen individual teacher capacity but to generate broader support within education systems to prioritise teachers and to champion quality and inclusive teaching and learning.
The model consists of 4 core components:
1. Cluster Teacher Meetings where teachers from nearby schools meet regularly with mentors to focus on key thematic areas, including gender and inclusion.
2. Online Networking Groups provide virtual support through the establishment of online networking forums (using WhatsApp groups). These platforms provide support where teachers do not have to physically meet and gives a space to ask questions and share experiences, as well as an opportunity for mentors to provide additional guidance and support as needed.
3. School-based Communities of Practice where teachers who attended mentoring meetings can share their learning with other teachers and education staff in their school.
4. Lesson observation and coaching support where education officials observe lesson delivery and provide tailored feedback to reinforce best practices and improve teaching and learning processes.

Initially developed in Kenya in Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps and further tested in South Sudan, Uganda, and Mali, the TCMN approach has demonstrated improved knowledge, skills, confidence, and motivation amongst the teaching workforce by supporting teachers to identify innovative solutions, sustain best practices and build meaningful and lasting peer networks. In this way, it presents teachers as central actors that embody all aspects of the triple nexus. [Anonymised organisation], in partnership with [anonymised organisation], are currently pursuing a [anonymised donor organisation]-funded action research project to test the scalability of the TCMN approach specifically within the South Sudanese education system. This project will gather evidence for scaling and uptake to provide sustainable solutions to enhance professional development opportunities for teachers operating within emergency, fragile and conflict-affected contexts. [Anonymised organisation]’s participation in this panel will provide a valuable opportunity to share the model, key insights from its application in a range of crisis contexts, and share initial insights from our scaling research project in South Sudan.

Author

• Lucy R Philpott, World University Service of Canada