USAID Primary Education Project

PEP’s first training of trainer’s workshop

From 1st to 5th of July the USAID Primary Education Project organized its first training of trainer’s workshop, aimed at improving mathematics and science education. Participating were 70 Macedonian educators (20 for grades 1-4, and 50 for grades 5-8), including representatives from pre-service teacher training institutions, BDE advisors and teachers. The 5 day workshop was led by international consultants with technical support from Indiana University and Step by Step, Macedonia.

The main goal of the workshop was to train a number of trainers who will develop and conduct trainings for math & science subject teachers in active teaching methodologies such as problem-based teaching, inquiry-based learning and project-based learning.

The workshop was organized in plenary sessions and group work in subject groups (lower grades group, mathematics, geography, physics, chemistry, biology subgroups).

Plenary sessions were devoted to teacher’s professional development. Following topics were included:

Elements of a Successful Workshop: A Synthesis of Best Practices;
Planning Effective Professional Development for Experienced Teachers;
Implications of day’s activity for workshop planning.

Group activities were specific for each group. Mainly they covered:

Concepts and teaching and learning cycle, followed by lesson examples for all science subjects;
Implementing standard - based mathematics instructions and mathematical tasks connected with cognitive demands;
Discussions with participants about the impact of active learning strategies on curriculum coverage, and the associated need for identifying curriculum focal points;
Planning for how participants will adapt workshop materials for delivery at their own teacher workshops (using a trainer-of-trainers model).

Included in the workshop were presentations, written study cases, video presentations and discussions and practical hands-on activities with the aim of planning effective lessons and teaching strategies that can develop conceptual understanding of science and mathematics.

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