The Center for International Studies in Educational Research and Development’s US-Indonesia Teacher Training Partnership was given feature attention recently by the media in Indonesia.

The partnership, a 2.5-year project to enhance the quality of effectiveness of pre-service teacher training in early grade reading, is a set of activities under the overall USAID PRIORITAS Project implemented by Research Triangle Institute (RTI) to improve access to quality education for children in Indonesia.

“As a manifestation of the commitment to develop the culture of literacy, Semarang State University (UNNES) and Florida State University (FSU), facilitated by USAID Prioritas, work together [and are] synergistically developing literacy teaching materials or modules in the Hall of the Faculty of Education, located on UNNES’ Sekaran North Campus,” according to the article.

“Literacy-based learning concepts should be explored and used in preference to old teaching models that still exist,” said Dr. Edi Purwanto, M.Si., the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, the Faculty of Education, UNNES. “In (today’s) teaching practices, using literacy-based instructions and basing the teaching on research are still uncommon. It is hoped that through this collaboration, the concepts of literacy-based instructions can expand nationwide.”

Feiny Sentosa, the Deputy Director of USAID Prioritas, said that reading and literacy skills of school students and university students should be developed early. “Students’ reading and comprehension skills need to be improved,” Feiny said. “Students might be able to read fluently; however, when they are asked intrinsic questions, many of them are not able to give proper or right answers. That is what we need to anticipate early.”

The article notes the participation in the workshop of Dr. Marion Fesmire of FSU-Panama City, who is working with CISERD on this project.

Dr. Helen N. Boyle, Associate Professor of International and Comparative Education and a member of the CISERD faculty, is principal investigator of the US-Indonesia Teacher Training Partnership.

The project’s $500,000 funding is from the U.S. Agency for International Development and RTI International.

Read more about the US-Indonesia Teacher Training Partnership here.