Tallahassee, FL – The Learning Systems Institute (LSI) at Florida State University has received its first-ever grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant aims to build evidence on the impact of pre-service teacher training on foundational learning. Dr. Stephanie Simmons Zuilkowski is the principal investigator on the project, which will be implemented in Zambia.

The study will examine the knowledge and pedagogy of student teachers who have completed their pre-service teacher training in public colleges of education supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Transforming Teacher Education Activity, implemented by LSI, School-to-School International and the University of Zambia. Data will also be collected on primary grade reading performance of children in the student teachers’ classrooms. 

The grant has the potential to contribute to the sector's understanding of the role of pre-service teacher training on teacher classroom practices and student learning outcomes. Little empirical research has been conducted on pre-service teacher education outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, and this research offers the opportunity to shed light on Zambia’s teacher training program and generate lessons for the wider sector.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to continue working on pre-service teacher education in Zambia, and grateful to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for recognizing the importance of supporting evidence generation in this area,” said Dr. Zuilkowski. “Rigorous empirical evidence on pre-service teacher education will support decision making by government policymakers, funders, teacher training institutions, and other education stakeholders.”

For 55 years, LSI has delivered systems that measurably improve the learning and performance of organizations and individuals in Florida and globally. Our experts' advanced research provides state-of-the-art methods and a clear path for implementation. To learn more about LSI, please visit LSI.FSU.edu for information.