STEP Background

      Two recent studies of Thailand’s teacher preparation programs have reported serious deficiencies in the preparation of novice teachers. In 2018, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) conducted a review of education policy in Thailand that noted significant weaknesses in the teacher preparation programs. They noted the emphasis on theory in coursework and the inadequacy of the support provided during the practicum period. A 2017 evaluation of the Premium Programme conducted by CPRE at Teachers College, Columbia and initiated by the Institute for the observations of teachers confirmed these problems. 

      In response to these data, the Centre determined that teacher education programs in Thailand required strengthening. The Centre did an international search for initiatives to improve teacher education in science and mathematics that had been effective. This resulted in the identification of the Core Practices Consortium, a group of 12 highly regarded universities in the United States that are collaborating to make their teacher education programs more grounded in practice and more evidence-based (Ball and Forzani, 2011; Grossman, 2018). Conversations with Dr. Pamela Grossman, Dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania and leader of the Consortium, led to the formation of a partnership wherein faculty from Penn who were using the core practices in their preservice courses would provide training to Thai preservice faculty and support their adoption of the core practices approach. This partnership is known as The Strengthening Teacher Education Program (STEP)The first round of STEP workshops was conducted in late 2022.

     A regional study of student performance, the SEA-PLM assessment project, conducted in six SEAMEO countries, assessed a sample of 5th graders in 2021, and found patterns of low performance in four countries similar to those observed in Thailand, suggesting that these countries also had problems of teacher quality similar to those observed in Thailand (SEAMEO-PLM, 2020). Among the SEAMEO countries, only Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam have patterns of student performance in mathematics and science that approach or surpass the OECD’s average PISA score. 

     The data on student performance collected in the SEA-PLM study suggest that teacher preparation programs in other SEAMEO countries require reforms similar to being implemented in Thailand with STEP. For this reason, the Centre decided to offer the STEP program to other SEAMEO countries. 

[1] CPRE, 2018. Evaluation of the Premium Teacher Education Program, NY: author; OCED, 2017. Review of Education Policy in Thailand. Paris: author.

The program objectives

     After reviewing these data and consulting with educational partners in the region, the Centre decided to develop an initiative to strengthen teacher preparation and teacher development in four countries- Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Thailand. The project entitled “Strengthening Teacher Education Program (STEP)” is intended to build the capacity of teacher education faculty and teacher development personnel to prepare novices and in-service teachers to use essential core practices of teaching as well as to implement quality learning units. The project seeks to strengthen preservice and in-service curricula, enrich teacher instructional practices, and strengthen the practicum for novice teachers through the adoption of core teaching practices, quality STEM learning units, and the training of mentor teachers. The effectiveness of the initiative will be studied and the findings will be 2 presented to regional licymakers to promote scaling up of the Core Practices, STEM learning units, and mentor training. 

     The initiative was designed to address four major issues: the inadequate attention being given to evidence about the effectiveness of various pedagogies, the lack of preparation in the use of effective classroom practices, the lack of professional capacity to access and adopt quality STEM learning units to build strong conceptual understanding, and the weaknesses in the practicum in pre-service programs.

Target groups and selection

       In collaboration with implementing partners in each country, the project will send a request for proposal (RFP) to teacher preparation or teacher development programs in the four countries - Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Thailand. The project will review the proposals received and invite two of the most promising candidates from each country to be part of this initiative. Selection will be based on the following criteria:

 >> A commitment by the leadership team of the program to allocate personnel and resources to implement and sustain the program

 >> The appointment of a team of faculty who have the capacity to implement and sustain the program

 >> The implementing team is willing to adopt the core practices and revise their methods courses

 >> The institutions have partnerships with schools whose leaders are willing to assign highly qualified teacher mentors to work with teacher candidates in implementing new practices and units

 >> The institutions are able to issue certificates which teachers want to acquire.