The Certificate in Education is a professional development program which started in 2012. It is intended for untrained teachers who are actively teaching in Primary schools in South Sudan. Since the schools do not exist in isolation, the course also target field education officers who are charged with responsibilities of supervision of the school. The program is diverse and flexible in its range of subject-matter but has firm shared qualities: time; field focus; structure; aims; target groups; selection criteria; and overall assessment.
The simple but powerful model underlying this is the recognition that the process of bringing about lasting educational transformation and innovation is a huge challenge. It requires not only the introduction of new knowledge and skills in tertiary institutions but also practice in the real settings of classroom and schools with opportunity for feedback on performance. It is this field focus that leads to the formation of this program.
The first phase (face to face) is taught at ECC main Campus or at a centre selected by the institution. In this phase the learners have a two weeks full time interaction with the instructors. They are given pedagogical/subject didactic, subject knowledge, how to use available resources (creativity), analyzing curriculum and subject syllabi. The second phase (field based component) which gives the participants the opportunity to practice what they learnt (three months) and a third phase back to the classroom which allows for consolidation, reflection and reinforcement of learning. The fourth phase (field based component) challenges the participants to share their knowledge and skills with their colleagues, to give example-lessons and instructions during
school-based workshops.
The Certificate in Education program offers teachers and teacher educators an opportunity to improve both their subject knowledge and didactic skills in a specified curriculum area. The program aims both at increasing knowledge of relevant content and at skill development in non-traditional teaching methodologies, curriculum development, reflective practice and relevant current educational issues. More significantly, this program makes an extensive use of local curriculum and addresses real-life issues in the participants’ schools or classrooms. A fundamental principle of the program is the effort to integrate theory with sound educational practices as well as biblical moral values of education. A large component of this program is based in the participants’ workplace where participants apply their learning in real life and can reflect on their experiences.
The program seeks to achieve the following general aims:
- To equip course participants with knowledge and pedagogical skills to teach in a more communicative manner in the classroom.
- To encourage the participants to become reflective teachers who understand their own role and their learners in the classroom.
- To prepare participants to work in a collaborative approach with their colleagues fostering a positive team work in the school.
By the end of the course, the participants should be able to:
- Recognize the current tendencies and challenges in the teaching and assessment in the schools.
- Reflect critically on their current practices, their own and their learners’ roles in the class and the implications of these roles on the teaching and learning processes.
- Have a better understanding of how children learn.
- Use a variety of creative teaching strategies in the classroom in order to foster creativity in the pupils.
- Select, develop, and utilize locally produced teaching materials in the classroom.
- Write useful and meaningful lesson plans, schemes of work and action plans.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues.