In a global and fast changing society, teaching has become an arduous task as it cannot be termed as the passing of knowledge to learners. It needs to reposition the learner as central while engaging him/her in the learning process through authentic tasks.
This puts a lot of pressure on the profession as educators need to be equipped with the right skill set to face these challenges and provide a worthwhile educational experience.
The vision of the Institute for Education is to offer a menu of accredited courses, short programmes and qualifications, contact and online or blended from which teachers can choose according to personal relevance and identified needs. This accessibility to a variety of courses aims to increase the intrinsic urge to enhance one’s professional development and to empower teachers. It aims to truly treat the teacher as a reflective practitioner.
The institute promotes high-quality education for all educators, fosters learning communities and instils education with equity and social justice. It is a hub where educators have the opportunity to augment the required competences. Relevant accredited professional learning programmes are provided for educators at all levels and parents to help them enhance the learning experience of their students and children.
The success of the learning programmes is experienced when the outcomes are visible in what the learners can actually do. Learning is scaffolded as the learner grows and moves on to higher levels.
The Institute for Education is set to empower teachers to be more self-directed learners. It aims to inspire educators through the professional learning courses it designs and offers, and augurs for a cascading effect, whereby educators inspire learners to cultivate an inquisitive, critical and creative mind. The outcome is to provide a structured, coherent and comprehensive professional development system by moving away from traditional methodologies and adopting a more transformative stance, which leads educators to maximise on professional learning and take responsibility for their own development.
The outcome is to provide a structured, coherent and comprehensive professional development system by moving away from traditional methodologies
The Institute for Education started offering courses in October 2016. It has since developed a large amount of accredited short courses tailor-made to support the different professional needs of educators. Educators have the possibility to analyse their strengths and weaknesses and decide the areas in which they require support. Such courses can actually transform a perceived or actual weakness into an opportunity for professional growth.
Over 70 accredited courses are offered by the institute, which encourage teachers to continue to develop and to extend their competences, revitalising the pedagogical and assessment quality of education. The main challenge for the institute resides in the creation of a community of learners and effective practitioners who delight in the progress of their learners.
The institute’s courses range from MQF Level 4 till MQF Level 7, and one can choose to do short courses ranging from 1 ECTS to 8 ECTS. Many issues are covered in courses such as pedagogy, assessment, multiculturalism, engagement with parents, autism, dyslexia, inquiry based learning and several others.
Moreover, the institute has already developed two postgraduate certificates at MQF Level 7, one of which is aimed for supply teachers who hold a degree in a subject taught in the secondary sector but are employed in the primary. Twenty-six teachers have already graduated.
Another course at the same level entitled ‘Assessment for learning strategies in the primary level’ is currently being delivered to a number of primary teachers during their curriculum time. LSAs are also being given the opportunity to do the ‘Supporting students with Iindividual educational needs’ course which is accredited at MQF Level 4.
Apart from all this, a good number of teachers are seeking their own accredited professional development through the institute after school hours and consequently grow professionally.
The institute has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Mcast, ITS, UoM and HaagaHelia University (Helsinki), and also with the National Literacy Agency. More will follow soon.
The Institute for Education is experiencing a very interesting and exciting period as it is growing at a fast and steady rate. While analysing the present needs of educators and developing the professional learning required, it is also trying to be proactive by anticipating the required changes in education. It needs to equip all educators with the required competences to make them relevant and functional to the needs of their learners.
The prospectus accessed from: http://instituteforeducation.gov.mt/en/Documents/Prospectus.pdf
Joanne Grima is CEO at the Institute of Education.