Observation & Feedback in Northwest Syria
This blog is part of a series that highlights the education best practices that are the foundation of Chemonics and One World’s work together around the globe. Today’s example comes from the Syrian Education Programme (SEP), which supports approximately 300 schools and over 4,000 teachers in Northwest Syria.
The Problem
Teachers are expected to perform on a daily basis like their professional peers in music or athletics. Yet, teachers are often not provided with the kind of coaching that they want and need in order to continually develop their craft. Teachers in war torn areas are especially under-resourced.
There have been a number of donor-funded education development programs implemented in Syria, inclusive of supporting teachers who face numerous challenges due to living in protracted crises. These challenges are exacerbated by teachers' limited access to professional development opportunities and governance issues that have led to inadequate funding to ensure teachers have the appropriate resources. Unintended consequences have also emerged through humanitarian efforts, with many education providers [understandably] prioritizing livelihood over the provision of advanced training in cutting-edge pedagogical techniques. As such, there remains the need to both keep teachers in the classroom and provide students with education, and recognize teachers' rights to professional growth and advancement.The fulfillment of both aspects will allow them to provide a higher quality of education to their students.
A Solution: Observation & Feedback
Observation & Feedback is the building block of professional development. It starts with first-hand knowledge of teachers’ strengths and areas for enhancement or modification. The next step is to provide teachers with constructive feedback and opportunities to practice action steps. In order to truly leverage the power of Observation & Feedback, it is crucial to have a systematic process in place. A comprehensive approach to coaching teachers should include:
A framework that identifies the competencies that teachers will be assessed on during a specific period. These competencies should include descriptions of proficiency levels.
A roadmap that enables teachers to both receive and provide feedback on their performance. Every roadmap should include well-defined overarching goals that align with the framework, as well as smaller milestones that can be used to assess progress.
Opportunities for teachers to develop and improve specific skills or knowledge areas in a collaborative setting
An Example from Northwest Syria
In 2019, SEP introduced a systematic process to support teachers working in the Education Directorates of Aleppo and Idilb in Northwest Syria. This cyclical coaching process, which is still happening today, consists of the following steps:
Determining focus areas: Stakeholders including members of the SEP team, the heads of the Aleppo and Idlib Education Supervision Departments, and lead teachers meet to discuss current teacher needs and which Teacher Competency Framework (TCF) competencies should be prioritized. For instance, a second semester goal might be set around the Child Protection & Inclusion competency that states the teacher is able to support students with disabilities in their classroom.
Creating and implementing professional development plans: Teachers work with lead teachers (who in turn are under the supervision of educational instructors) to assess their progress on specific competencies. This work leads to their TDPs (Teacher Development Plan). This set of goals and professional development action steps then become the basis for all observations and feedback sessions, ensuring that all teachers receive individualized support. It is also important to note that both lead teachers and educational instructors observe classrooms and that the self-reflection component of a teacher’s TDP also includes listing which learning resources have been the most beneficial (learning circles, physical or online training, books, or videos).
Delivery of periodic learning circles: Every month peers and supervisors participate in an ongoing dialogue during which ideas are exchanged, experiences are shared and feedback is given and received. Learning circles align with current TCF focus areas. During the period in which the TCF pillar Child Protection and Inclusion is a priority, a learning circle entitled Developing Teacher Adequacy in Understanding & Supporting Students with Disabilities occurred.
This past year, a technical team of Chemonics partners worked with the education directorates to create the Learner Patterns & Appropriate Teaching Methods learning circle. Over 68 educational instructors and 1,780 lead teachers and teachers were able to participate. This cascade method of professional development that begins with technical coaches providing training to lead instructors at the regional level and ends with lead teachers providing the same training to all the teachers in their respective schools leads to maximum impact.
Observation & Feedback Key Wins
Feedback is not about evaluation; instead, it encourages perseverance and focuses on development in the face of challenges.
Having a systematic process that fosters collaboration and community means that all teachers and therefore, all students benefit.
Written by
Reham Jabbar, Syrian Education Programme
Alaa Eddin Alnajjar, Syrian Education Programme
Samira Shibli, One World Network of Schools