Project

Theory-Practice Balance in Teacher Education

Project sponsors

Abbreviation
TEPATE
Project type
Development project
Focus area
Innovative Learning
Implementation time
1.9.2020 - 31.8.2024
Project unit
School of Professional Teacher Education
Financing program
Finnish National Agency for Education, HEI ICI
Project description

School enrolment rates in Mozambique have improved considerably over the last decade. Unfortunately, however, school completion rates and learning outcomes have not improved at the same pace. The Theory-Practice Balance in Teacher Education Project aims at improving the quality and relevance of initial teacher training at the Mozambican partner HEIs and by so doing, the Project supports the efforts of the Mozambican government to improve the overall quality of education in the country.

Teaching is a profession that requires theory-based pedagogical thinking incorporated into everyday actions of a teacher. This means that teachers are required to master both theoretical knowledge and research based-approaches as well as practical skills. In Mozambique, teacher education at the moment is regarded excessively theoretical, not providing graduating teachers with sufficient pedagogical skills to apply learner-centred pedagogy in practice. The Project therefore focuses on enhancing the theory-practice balance of teacher education at the Mozambican partner HEIs.

The expected outcome of the Project is increased capacity of the Southern partners to develop and deliver teacher education that provides teacher trainees with better skills to apply learner-centred pedagogy in practice. Besides academic teacher training, the Project also targets in- non-academic teachers of the country by providing them with in-service training materials.  The Project also targets school managers in order to support the rooting of new pedagogical practices on a school level.

Key results to be achieved in the Project are:

1. Capacities of selected teacher educators enhanced to deliver theory-practise balanced teacher education
2. The quality and relevance of the teacher training programmes at UP Maputo and ISET OW is developed
3. Refresher course material for teachers' in-service training developed
4. Capacities of selected school managers enhanced

For more information, please contact the Project Manager Irmeli Maunonen-Eskelinen, email: '[email protected]'

Project results

By the end of 2023, the key achievements of the project were:

- Completion of the Training of Trainers programme. The programme included two study visits to Finland, where participants were introduced to Finnish teacher education from various perspectives, both at Jamk University of Applied Sciences and the University of Lapland, which is the project's other Finnish partner university. A key aspect of the programme was the practice of a co-development methods through which pedagogical solutions were developed across university and faculty boundaries.
- Development and piloting of three new study modules (each worth 5 ECTS) with partner organizations' students (276 individuals). The accreditation process for the aforementioned courses began in 2023 and will be completed in 2024.
- Development of teaching practice component within the partner organizations' teacher education programmes, including training of the supervisors of the teaching practice component (77 individuals) and the creation of support materials for teaching practice (to be completed in 2024).
- Training for school principals (32 individuals, continues in 2024).
- Training for practicing teachers (240 individuals).
- Completion of the first set of refresher cource materials for Mozambican teachers already working as teachers