Project
TECIP Teacher Educators in Higher Education As Catalysts for Inclusive Practices in Technical and Vocational Education
Project sponsors
Teacher Educators in Higher Education as Catalysts for Inclusive Practices in Technical and Vocational Education (TECIP) was a capacity building project between JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Finland, Federal Technical Vocational Education and Training Institute (FTI), Ethiopia, Addis Ababa University (AAU), Ethiopia, and University of Jyväskylä, Finland. The project was based on the long-term collaboration between the participating HEIs. In Ethiopia, there is favorable policy environment for developing post-secondary TVET towards inclusion. Still, concrete actions are needed. Teachers have a key role in making reforms come true, and therefore the development of TVET teacher education is the prime objective for ensuring people with special educational needs and disabilities the access to and participation in TVET education.
The mission of the TECIP-project was to equip the TVET teacher training providers on national, regional and local levels with necessary skills and knowledge on inclusive practices to support national development efforts towards inclusive TVET education in Ethiopia.
As an outcome of the project, FTI developed its educational structures in terms of inclusion in TVET and curricula on inclusive education and related modules for pre- and in-service TVET teacher programs. As the modules developed in the project are part of the curricula, the results sustain and reach new generation of teachers. Additionally, a new in-service training model was developed for FTI and piloted for the use in future. The project scope involved all regions in Ethiopia via in-service training model.
Key Results to be Achieved:
- One curriculum and two training modules prepared which are integrated in the SEN and Inclusive Education course - Result obtained in the project
- Five regional events/workshops conducted and knowledge on inclusion delivered for 200 persons at Federal, Regional and local levels on inclusive education in TVET - Result obtained in the project
- 15 teacher trainers of FTI trained on inclusion and professional development plans prepared for them, including an awareness raising event for the whole FTI staff (N=100) - Result obtained in the project
- In-service training model developed for FTI, which consists of the Training of Trainers program for 100 TVET teachers and of the practice in delivering knowledge on inclusive practices for 1000 TVET teachers in regions. - Result obtained in the project
More information:
Project Manager, Principal Lecturer Maija Mäkinen,
tel. +358 400 505137, firstname.lastname[a]jamk.fi
Project results
Programme's Impact statement: Strengthened capacity of HEIs in the global south to contribute to well-functioning, efficient and equitable societies. The TECIP-project targeted at having impact on TVET teacher education on the national, regional and local levels by increasing the competence and by developing skills and knowledge on Inclusive Practices in order to support the national efforts towards Inclusive Education. The baseline study showed that there were no official statistics on students with SEND in TVET (based on the study by Abebe Yehualawork Malle in 2015 the estimated share of the SEND students in TVET was 0.07-0.55 %). Teacher education is the key actor in impacting the situation of students of SEND in Ethiopia. Federal TVET Institute (FTI) is the national level, leading TVET teacher education actor. It has 11 satellite campuses around the country. Future teachers are change makers. They are able to increase participation of students with disabilities in TVET colleges. That is why the TECIP-project concentrated on developing skills and knowledge of teacher trainees and teacher trainers at FTI on inclusive education and its requirements: awareness of all staff members at FTI, specialized 15 teacher trainers (called SEN coordinators), training model and schedule, training material and understanding the difference between inclusive pedagogy and traditional training mode. Through the TECIP-project FTI adopted a training model on inclusive education with trained staff and learning material. It has sustainable inclusive friendly learning environment for its future use. The TECIP-project worked together with the Ethiopian TVET administration: involvement of the Federal TVET Agency, trainings of TVET administrators and heads and the contacts with the TVET minister at the Ministry of Education all contribute to the situation of students with disabilities in the TVET education and that way enhance possibilities for them in employment and in society.