Primary Teaching Residency Program in Rwanda
Funding Partner: Rainwater Charitable Foundation
Principal Investigator: Ana H. Marty, Ph. D
Project Announcement
Septembver 13, 2023
The Learning Systems Institute at Florida State University has been awarded a grant to pilot the Primary Teaching Residency Program at two Teaching Training Institutions in Rwanda.
Funded by the U.S.-based Rainwater Charitable Foundation, the Primary Teaching Residency Program (PTRP) aims to ensure that prospective teachers have ample opportunities to enhance their understanding of technical content and increased hands-on practice in primary classrooms combined with coaching and mentoring. These experiences will better prepare preservice teachers to implement the competence-based curriculum by developing the appropriate knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes to lead the teaching and learning process.
The program will focus on four key areas: strengthening the knowledge of evidence-based pedagogy, providing extensive and robust teaching practice experiences, building English-language skills and developing digital literacy. Rwanda Teaching Training Institutions (TTIs) are three-year teaching education programs. The PRTP will provide an additional year of training.
“Our team is honored to join our colleagues from Inspire, Educate and Empower (IEE) and Bridge to Rwanda to Pilot the Primary Teaching Residency Program,” said Ana H. Marty, Ph.D. “Providing preservice teachers with a fourth year of training and practice was an idea our team has discussed as a necessary step to strengthen Rwanda’s quality of education and students’ learning outcomes. This is a unique opportunity given by the Minister of Education to make a difference in Rwanda by ensuring the preservice teachers are well-equipped to transition into full-time teaching and perform effectively in the classroom.”
This was an “invitation-only” consortium initiated by the Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education in Rwanda. The consortium was formed by LSI, Bridge 2 Rwanda and Inspire, Educate, Empower.
Marty will serve as the principal investigator and work with LSI staff Marion Fesmire, Ed.D. and Kate Schell.
2024 Update
The Learning Systems Institute at Florida State University is piloting the Primary Teaching Residency Program (PTRP) at two Teaching Training Institutions in Rwanda. Funded by the U.S.-based Rainwater Charitable Foundation, the PTRP is designed to raise the standards for primary school instruction in Rwanda.
The focus of the project is to strengthen pre-service teachers' (residents') evidence-based pedagogical skills, provide them with extensive teaching practice and develop their English and information and communication technology (ICT) skills.
Dr. Ana H. Marty, a research faculty, ECE and literacy specialist at LSI, serves as the project's Principal Investigator. LSI’s Dr. Marion Fesmire and Kate Schell are also working on the project. The PTRP is a consortium initiated by the Minister of Education in Rwanda and formed by LSI, Bridge2Rwanda and Inspire, Educate, and Empower Rwanda.
The project is showing encouraging results after just two terms. During term two, more than 80 teacher residents (TRs) in the program used targeted instructional strategies and received a performance rating of "meets" or "exceeds" expectations in all three observed lessons in the term. The TRs' knowledge, skills and attitudes in literacy, math and science continued to grow and the TRs continued increasing their engagement with online Canvas and in-person academic programming.
“This is a unique opportunity given by the Rwanda Ministry of Education to design and implement a fourth-year program to address some of the current gaps in the preservice education system,” said Dr. Marty. “We are in awe of the commitment of our fellow in-country partners, B2R and IEE, and how well we are working together. The residents are demonstrating pedagogy-related growth, and we are eager to see them ace their final assessment exercises.”
Among the additional achievements reported were TRs being more confident in teaching, continuing to demonstrate growth in their ability to teach in different subjects, integrating the targeted pedagogical strategies in their lesson plans and teaching, reporting increased confidence and ability in English literacy and demonstrating increased speed and ease with ICT. The TRs expressed how having extended opportunities to practice instruction in the reality of the primary classroom impacted their confidence and agency as beginning teachers. There was also a 0% attrition rate during the term.
"I have gained the confidence to be a teacher compared to how I was before," said one of the residents. "Before this program, I was able to teach, but I was unable to vary strategies for catering to all learners in my lessons. Not only in terms of methodology but also in English professionalism. I mean, using English as the medium of instruction has been improved. This is what I have gained in the PTRP program since it started. I am excited to extend this experience."
“I have gained much confidence as well as experience,” reported another resident. “Before this program, I used to hesitate while I was teaching, especially how to follow the steps of teaching effectively. Not only the hesitation but I also used to have challenges about how to apply games or learning through play…but right now, I am full of confidence to do that effectively. In addition to that, I also developed the ability to apply evidence-based pedagogy with much confidence and optimism.”
The PTRP is one of the significant milestones in the country's commitment to advancing education. It exemplifies Rwanda’s dedication to excellence in education by taking a bold step toward improving teacher competence, skills and qualifications and creating a conducive environment for both teachers and students in the pursuit of quality education in the country.
