Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)
Duty Station: Bangkok
Job Family: Education
Type of contract : Non Staff
Duration of contract : From 7 to 11 months
Recruitment open to : External candidates
Application Deadline (Midnight Bangkok Time) : 22-APR-2024
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The “integrating transversal competencies in effective teaching and learning” project aims to support countries’ on-going curriculum reforms to integrate transversal competencies in effective classroom teaching and learning by helping translate curriculum into effective classroom practices through teacher training and support. Effective integration of transversal competencies in teaching and learning is a central component of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as defined by the Transforming Education Summit (TES) thematic action track “learning and skills for life, work and sustainable development”. From an intersectoral perspective, the project also relates to UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector’s priority on “Advancing a Culture of Enquiry among the Youth and Transform Learning in a Complex World” under the MOST (Management of Social Transformations) Programme. The project support two participating countries namely Nepal and Solomon Islands to strengthen teachers’ understanding and capacity to effectively teach transversal competencies.
The project will produce three outputs:
a. The project will review national programmes and policies for teacher training on transversal competencies (output 1) to provide the participating countries with concrete recommendations for revising the content, structure and modality of training. This review will look both at training modules within initial teacher education as well as in-service training offers in the area of transversal competencies.
b. Upon the findings of the review, the project will develop the relevant teacher training modules (output 2) and train master teacher trainers to integrate transversal competencies in their teacher training programmes the participating countries.
c. Furthermore, the project will develop repository of contextually relevant exemplars, guidelines and tools (output 3) to help teachers integrate selected transversal competencies in their teaching practices. This repository also aims to facilitate the roll-out of training to a wider set of teachers.
PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
Within this context, the main purpose of this assignment is to support the Member States (namely Nepal and the Solomon Islands) in the effective implementation of new curriculum constructs in classroom practices, by:
a. Integrating selected transversal competencies in their curriculum framework as part of a competency -based curriculum reform (in the case of Nepal) and developing content and frame pedagogical approach to embed selected transversal competencies into pre-service course unit/s (in the case of the Solomon Islands);
b. Designing the relevant capacity development materials and training tools;
c. Planning appropriate training programme; and
d. Train master trainer at the selected teacher training institutions for scaling up and mainstreaming into existing teacher training programmes.
The work will focus specifically on four competency domains from the framework: “collaboration”, “creativity”, “reflective thinking” (also known in other frameworks as critical thinking) and “reasoned decision-making” (also known as problem solving). These competencies were identified during the inception phase of the project as the most commonly found competencies in curriculum and assessment frameworks with the most well-defined constructs.
Furthermore, the capacity development work will focus on the primary and secondary education level (depending on the participating countries) and tools and examples for some specific identified learning area within these levels. The focus on upper primary and secondary education will contribute to preparing learners to actively and effectively contribute to building more sustainable futures and to be better prepared for rapidly changing societies and economies.
It aims to contribute to making the curriculum of secondary education more relevant to equipping future graduates with the skills necessary to build more sustainable futures.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the overall authority of the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and the direct supervision and overall guidance of the Chief of Education Section, and daily guidance of the Team Leader of Education Policy and Planning, and in close collaboration with the relevant education staff at UNESCO Kathmandu and Suva Offices, the individual specialist is expected to perform the following tasks:
a. Review existing teacher training programmes to identify how best to reinforce pre-service training on transversal competencies and alignment with the designed in-service or pre-service training modules.
b. Co-develop with the respective national technical teams the definitions and descriptions of a subset of selected transversal competencies with hypothesised learning indicators.
c. Co-develop with the respective national technical teams the nationally contextualized teacher training module for training teachers on the integration of selected soft skills in classroom teaching.
d. Co-organize with the respective national technical teams training workshops for master teacher trainers on tools and methods to integrate a subset of selected transversal competencies in teaching practices, using train-the-trainers models. (In the case of Nepal)
e. Co-organize with the respective national technical teams a technical consultation with relevant departments of the Ministry of Education and teacher training institutions to design roll-out plans for pre-service and in-service teachers’ continuous professional development in transversal competencies.
f. Provide technical guidance to the respective national technical teams for the design or strengthening of a national repository including the training module, tools, guidelines and examples for teachers on transversal competencies teaching and learning.
g. The assignments will require country visits to Nepal and the Solomon Islands.
STYLE MANUAL, FORMAT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
Individual Specialist shall specifically perform the following:
a. Make sure that all the details of Style Manual (2004 version available at https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000141812) have been adhered such as terminology, abbreviations, acronyms and format of footnotes, etc.;
b. In line with UNESCO’s overall gender mainstreaming strategy, ensure the Guidelines on Gender-Neutral Language is applied throughout the report and guide (https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377299) as well as integrate a gender perspective in all activities and apply gender analysis and mainstreaming concepts whenever feasible;
c. When referring to the region, ensure to avoid using ‘in the Asia-Pacific’ and ‘in Asia Pacific’. Instead, use one of the following terms interchangeably: in the Asia-Pacific region, in Asia and the Pacific, and in Asia-Pacific;
d. Use the proper names and place names that correspond to UNESCO official usage and comply the official names of these following countries (where applicable): Taiwan = Taiwan province of China, Hong Kong = Hong Kong SAR, China, South Korea = Republic of Korea, Vietnam = Viet Nam, Iran = Iran (Islamic Republic of), Laos = Lao PDR. UNESCO member states to be double checked at https://en.unesco.org/countries;
e. Compile a list of tables, figures (including diagram, chart, illustration), photos (including images, cartoons, icons) and other graphic elements from the third party-materials by using a template provided by UNESCO and secure the intellectual property rights by using the “permission consent form” (provided by UNESCO);
This vacancy is archived.