Call for Proposals: A comparative study on the status of preparation and career paths for pre-primary, primary, and secondary school teachers

Applications (see section 12 below) must be sent to adea-applications@afdb.org no later than Friday, 12^th May 2023. The subject of the e-mail should be “A comparative study on the status of preparation and career paths for pre-primary, primary, and secondary school teachers”.

Hosted as a project under the African Development Bank, the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) is a voice for education reform in Africa. Its vision is to create “high-quality African education and training geared towards the promotion of critical skills for accelerated and sustainable development in Africa”. ADEA’s mission, therefore, is to “serve as an open and flexible pan-African organization that informs and facilitates the transformation of education and training to drive Africa’s accelerated and sustainable development”. It has played a significant role in the education space for over 34 years as a convener, catalyst, knowledge creator, and forum for policy dialogue. ADEA’s overall goal is to empower African countries to develop education and training systems that respond to their emergent needs and that drive Africa’s social and economic transformation sustainably.

A comparative study was conducted in Botswana, Kenya and Rwanda on the status of preparation and career path for pre-primary, primary and secondary school teachers to set a good foundation for future improved teaching and learning through proper formulation of policies and practices. the recommendations from this study continue to inform current policies and practices on teacher education and development as education is becoming increasingly complex with rapid changes in the roles and functioning of schools. The study revealed that the three countries have invested efforts to ensure they achieve educational goals through well-developed teacher competencies in terms of the knowledge and skills required for teachers, their confidence and ability to teach and promote different skills in the classroom.  During the validation of the findings, participants recommended that ADEA conducts a similar study in francophone and Lusophone countries. In response, ADEA is seeking the services of a resource person to undertake a similar study in Togo, Guinea, Mali, and Angola. The focus will be on key issues linked to the performance and quality of teachers based on their preparation and qualification frameworks, career guidance, and professional development.

The primary goal of this study is to explore the practices in the preparation and career development of pre-primary, primary, and secondary school teachers in three French-speaking countries (Guinea, Togo, and Mali) and one Portuguese-speaking country (Angola). This study finding will demonstrate how professional standards of teaching staff preparations are developed and observed in the selected African Countries. 

The resource person will perform the tasks guided by the following objectives:

1. To investigate and analyze the preparation of pre-service teachers in Guinea, Togo, Mali, and Angola.
2. To explore the current practices for in-service teacher professional development in the four study countries.
3. To compare frameworks in teacher preparation and professional development practices, career pathways in the four study countries.
4. To formulate recommendations for improvements in teacher preparation and professional development.

The following questions will guide the study in the four countries:

1. What is the minimum academic qualification to be a teacher in public pre-primary, primary, and secondary school? 
2. What are the preparation and standards required to become an effective and competent teacher in public pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools?
3. What is the structure of preparation and training models/frameworks and professional development practices, career pathways in the study countries?
4. What can you recommend for improving pre-service teacher preparation, professional development, and career pathways for teachers at the three levels?
5. What are the strategies in place to ensure the motivation of pre-service teachers and the retention of in-service teachers to maintain experienced teachers?
6. Given the importance of digital technology, particularly in creating resilient education systems, how is teacher training organized in the mastery and use of digital technologies as tools of education?

This comparative study has two components (teacher preparation and teacher career paths) in four countries (Togo, Guinea, Mali, and Angola) at three levels of public schools (pre-primary, primary, and secondary). The focus will be on the current policies and practices for pre-service teacher education and continuous professional development for in-service teachers. 

The study will be conducted within three months starting from May 2023 to August 2023. Within the scope of the study, Schools dedicated to be Teachers’ Training Centers in each country will be assessed focusing on their training model frameworks and pathway, practices, curricula and practices 

For the effectiveness of this study a convergent mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data will be used for this study. 

The qualitative method will be used to gain information for understanding the reason why teachers’ preparation curricula and career pathways are different while all personnel prepared are designated to do the same profession. Qualitative data will be collected from selected schools mandated to prepare pre-service teachers without letting behind government institutions and teachers’ platforms within the four countries intending to promote teachers’ welfare and development. The Qualitative data analysis will be done by compiling the collected information and statistical data interpreted using tables and charts which will be interpreted upon the evidence captured.

The Quantitative method will be used to collect teachers’ and pre-service teachers’ data using google forms and Questionnaires where applicable. The quantitative analysis will be compared/triangulated with success stories and best practices observed in pre-service teachers as observed in teaching and learning processes during the study by using statistical modeling for data collected.

This study will engage senior staff from the Ministry of Education in the respective countries, Pre-service teachers from public schools; and In-service teachers in pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools.

The designated country focal persons, Ministries of Education, and local education development partners’ fora are expected to work closely with the resource person and his/her research assistants to obtain the relevant data and information for the study. These stakeholders will also be involved in the validation of the report’s findings and recommendations.

The study process will respect the norms and policies of each concerned country.  Education development partners at national levels and Education sector working groups will be aware of the exercise and a questionnaire will be dedicated to them as a way of gathering exhaustive information. The final report will be presented to the concerned countries and key stakeholders of ADEA before being published to social networks of ADEA like websites and social media. 

The resource person will work closely with the Inter-Country Quality Node on Teaching and Learning (ICQN-TL) and ADEA Secretariat team to undertake the following tasks:

1. Conduct a desk review of available documents related to the study.
2. Develop the study methodology and tools.
3. Conduct primary data collection.
4. Conduct virtual key informant interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders as summarized in the methodology and stakeholder consultation sections.
5. Analyze and synthesize the primary and secondary data collected.
6. Write the draft of the study report and submit it to ADEA for advice and comments.
7. Prepare the mapping of key actors involved in the preparation and professional careers of teachers.
8. Present the results of the study during the validation workshop organized by ADEA and Write a 6-page political orientation note.
9. Finalize the study report taking into account the validation contributions and ADEA comments.
10. Submit the final study report, the policy orientation notes and a PPT presentation summarizing the findings and recommendations.

The consultant will be required to provide the following deliverables: 

1. Inception report detailing tasks, methodology, tools, and work plan.
2. An Excel spreadsheet database of stakeholders for each country.
3. Draft consolidated report with utilized methodologies, results, conclusions and recommendations.
4. Updated draft report incorporating feedback from ADEA.
5. PowerPoint presentation of findings and recommendations to present at the validation workshop.
6. Draft Policy Brief.
7. Validated final report, policy brief and PowerPoint presentation containing the objective(s), methodology, results, conclusions and recommendations.

• Proven ability and experience in conducting education comparative studies in Africa;
• Deep and substantial knowledge of African education system, facilitating the interviews with policy makers and required practices around pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools;
• Extensive experience in designing research projects, studies, evaluations, surveys, data analysis, and report writing (both in French and in English); links to published research and analytical documents;
• A minimum of university degree (Master) in Education, Psycho-pedagogy, Public Policy, Social Policy, or related fields;
• Proven ability to work in teams and expert groups as well as working in international and multicultural environments;
• Very good communication and presentation skills with government and international organizations;
• Proficiency in spoken and written French and/or English, and a working knowledge of the other, is essential.

The selected consultant is expected to commence the work in May 2023 and complete the assignment by August 2023.

Timelines for the Assignment: May-August 2023

The consultant will report to the ADEA ICQN-TL coordinator/project officer and work closely with the ADEA Secretariat team.

The interested consultants shall provide: 

1. An expression of interest including a motivation letter explaining how he/she understands the mission and relevant experience;
2. A CV or resume of 3 pages maximum;
3. A technical and financial offer. The financial offer shall include: (i) the daily fees and (ii) the estimated number of days for this assignment.

Applications must be sent to adea-applications@afdb.org no later than Friday, 12^th May 2023. The subject of the e-mail should be “A comparative study on the status of preparation and career paths for pre-primary, primary, and secondary school teachers”.