While completing any project is a time for reflection and celebration, the recent completion of the TED project in Cambodia marks a milestone in the direction of teacher education reform. A part of, and supported by, the Capacity Development Partnership Fund, the project’s professional development courses for educators are the first of their kind in Cambodia to be offered in a blended fashion as well as officially accredited.
Like many countries around the world, Cambodia is experiencing a severe learning crisis. Even before Covid-19 shuttered schools and disrupted learning throughout the country from 2020 to 2022, almost two-thirds of children enrolled in primary school were not proficient in reading, writing and calculating by the end of their primary education. While there are multiple factors contributing to the learning crisis, the quality of teaching is a significant factor that has been placed high on Cambodia’s National Education Strategic Plan.
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) in Cambodia points to the need for improved teacher training programmes to strengthen teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical skills. Through the Capacity Development Partnership Fund, a major education reform of teacher development has been initiated. The Fund comprises a multi-stakeholder partnership – including MoEYS, the European Union (EU), The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and UNICEF – focused on support to implement capacity development priorities in the education sector.
The TED project
Through this Fund, managed by UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, VVOB developed and delivered 11 continuous professional development courses, in line with the Ministry’s continuous professional development guidelines, using a blended learning approach for teacher educators and senior managers in all four regional teacher training centres and the preschool teacher training centre. The TED project spanned from August 2021 to June 2023. All courses were designed and implemented using a consultative and inclusive approach drawing on the expertise and engagement of a core group of national master trainers alongside quality assurance by the Ministry’s Teacher Training Department and UNICEF.
These courses not only marked a departure from traditional teaching methods but also set a precedent as the first accredited blended professional development courses for educators in Cambodia. They combined in-person and remote learning and were accredited by the Continuous Professional Development Management Office, directly contributing to career growth of teacher educators and paving the way for innovations in Cambodia's teacher education reform agenda.
The project introduced a shift from passive learning to engaged, practice-based learning by requiring participants to submit assignments for each module. This aligns with national efforts to move away from conventional teaching methods towards pedagogical reforms and professional development for educators. It also promotes the integration of ICT for teaching and learning.
Collaboration and content to support e-learning
In this project, VVOB collaborated with Cambodian NGO Open Institute, MoEYS Department of Information Technology, and the Teacher Training Department in operating the courses on the MoEYS Moodle-based e-learning platform. This support facilitated the project and increased the Department of Information Technology’s capacity to independently operate and sustain the e-learning platform beyond the TED project's conclusion.
All TED courses considered various factors as outlined in the Ministry’s Continuous Professional Development guidelines for credit allocation such as the duration of professional development activities, associated self-study hours, program content, competencies promoted, and evaluation and assessment. Successfully passing these courses led to credits registered in the Human Resources Management Information System, which can support participants in their career advancement or be used for credit exemption in undergraduate or postgraduate programmes. Accreditation ensures the courses meet the quality, level, and standards mandated by MoEYS.
Speaking to VVOB on behalf of UNICEF Cambodia, Kezang Deki, Education Specialist, said that the TED project played an instrumental role in the operationalisation of the Ministry’s newly established continuous professional development system. “It provides a reference point for future continuous professional development courses of blended nature. The TED project has also provided a solid framework for further development of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport’s teacher training platform to improve its accessibility, content development and accreditation process.”
Through the continuous professional development system, the courses were offered as individual off-the-shelf accredited professional development courses covering topics relevant to most professionals in teacher education. Topics were identified and informed through a training needs assessment conducted by UNICEF with teacher educators and included: adult learning; professional reading; technological pedagogical content knowledge; student-centred pedagogy; pedagogical content knowledge; action research; mentoring programme for beginning teachers; educational policy and financial management; professional standards; curriculum review; and educational leadership.
Project outcomes
For Ms. Borng Englang, working in pedagogical psychology, the content on professional standards and curriculum review presented her with new opportunities to understand and take up her role as a teacher trainer more professionally and thoroughly. “These were important to build up the teacher educator’s profession”, she noted.
Englang is among the 271 participants of the project, of whom 38% are female, made up of teacher educators, librarians, directors and deputy directors from the regional teacher training centres and the pre-school teacher training centre. The passing rates for the TED courses varied from 60% to 95% and in individual interviews, participants explained how the courses helped them to improve their teaching and learning for their student teachers.
Looking forward
While the TED project has concluded, its lessons and impact continue. A rollout plan was developed, and further scaling of the TED courses has been included in the ministry's Teacher Policy Action Plan 2024-2030. The synergy between the Capacity Development Partnership Fund and VVOB’s 5-year SMILE project, focused on enhancing the professional development of teachers and school leaders in early-grade mathematics in primary education, remains evident.
“Given its positive impact, UNICEF will continue to support the Ministry’s plan to roll out the accredited TED courses and development of new courses”, added Kezang Deki, mentioning that gender and disability inclusion will also be included as prioritised in the draft Teacher Policy Action Plan 2024-2030.
Collaboratively, VVOB and the Capacity Development Partnership Fund are supporting the Ministry to strengthen Early Grade Learning including a school level mentoring programme, emphasising collaborative efforts to address educational challenges comprehensively. This collaboration aligns with VVOB's Learning Unlimited Strategy, which aims to bring organisations together to jointly and effectively tackle educational challenges and ultimately contribute to improved learning and teaching in Cambodia.
