Towards inclusive and practice-oriented teacher education

The project builds on a broad understanding of inclusive education based on the universal human right to education, ensuring that all children - regardless their gender, remoteness, wealth, disability, ethnicity, language, or any other characteristic or situation - have access to school and learning. It aims at full and effective participation, accessibility, attendance, and achievement of all students, especially those excluded or at risk of being marginalized. This requires building inclusive learning communities where all are welcome and respected as equal and contributing members. 

The project consists of two complementary approaches:
First, it aims to strengthen the human and technological capacity of the two Southern HEIs to improve the inclusive quality of their teaching (Outcome 1). This includes activities such as Training of Trainers, study visits, staff exchange and hands-on training on digital pedagogy. Technological capacity means upgrading hardware and software needed for improved digital learning. 

Second, that new capacity is taken into practice by innovating, piloting, and developing pedagogical practices in the Southern HEIs (Outcome 2). This includes using the Living Lab approach, piloting new approaches and methods, and building inclusive learning communities. A particular focus is put on STEM education to co-create new environmentally and economically sustainable methods for more context-relevant and practice-oriented learning that encourages diverse learners, including girls. 

In practice, these approaches are integrated so that the innovation and piloting activities in Outcome 2 form a central part of the learning process and thus contribute to human capacity building in Outcome 1. TIPOTE is based on a partnership between four Higher Education Institutions that all provide teacher education: The Pedagogical University of Maputo (UP-Maputo), ISET One World, Jamk University of Applied Sciences and the University of Lapland. These four HEIs have experience of collaboration from the earlier Theory-Practice Balance in Teacher Education Project (TEPATE) 2020-2024.The project is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Higher Education Partnership (HEP) Program.

Key results to be achieved: 

1. Increased capacity of selected teacher educators and administrative
   staff in learner-centered inclusive education 
2. Increased capacity to use
   digital pedagogy and digital technologies in pre- and in-service teacher
   education 
3. Practical pedagogical solutions for more inclusive education are innovated, piloted and shared 
4. Pedagogical methods for STEM education created for improved
   inclusivity and increased practice-orientation.

More information:

Project manager: Hanna Laitinen
Key experts: Irmeli Maunonen-Eskelinen, Kaija Peuna-Korpioja, Tuulia Kiilavuori, Jari Järvinen