British Council – M&E of Online Teacher Training Course in Syria

MENA

2018 - 2019

Countries

Syria

Lead M&E Consultant(s)

Simon Borg

Project Overview

This programme involved two courses. In 2018, 115 teachers of English in Syrian Relief schools completed (over 10 months) self-study online language development modules and took part in online e-moderated sessions (e-moderators received training to prepare them for their role). All training materials were designed by the British Council and the aim of this work was to improve teachers’ English. In 2019, 45 teachers, over six months, completed self-study online teaching modules and met online to discuss these with a trained e-moderator. Again, materials came from the British Council Teaching for Success suite. The aim of this course was to improve teachers’ classroom skills.

Approaches & Outputs

Borg was the external evaluator for both phases of this programme. He was responsible for designing the remote evaluate framework, collecting and analysing qualitative and quantitative data, and report writing (two separate M&E reports). The outcomes and impacts of the training courses were examined through interviews with teachers, e-moderators and project staff and teacher surveys. Project documentation and course materials were also examined. On both courses teachers were very positive about the training and felt it had impacted positively on both their English and their teaching. The Zoom sessions, because of their interactive nature, were a particularly popular aspect of the second course with e-moderators and teachers.

Impact On

160 teachers of English in Syria benefited from improved English, confidence to speak English, and new teaching strategies.

Challenges

The project did not have a clear evaluation framework. Teachers’ participation in the project was severely disrupted by two factors: poor internet connections and the conflict in Syria. Lack of time was also a considerable constraint for many teachers. Also, those aspects of the course (especially the online forums) which aimed to promote teacher reflection, autonomy and self-assessment did not function as effectively as intended.

British Council – M&E of Online Teacher Training Course in Syria