Strengthening Teacher Professional Development
Local and global communities of practice in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya
Numerous studies show that teachers are the strongest school-level predictor of student learning. Teacher education and professional development are vital in improving and sustaining the quality of teaching. Yet, in refugee contexts like Kakuma, new teachers may be selected, given chalk, and placed in a classroom of 100-200 students with little or no preparation. The Teachers for Teachers case study presented here aims to respond to this gap in support to teachers working in refugee and crisis-affected contexts. During 2016-17, Columbia University's Teachers College collaborated with UNHCR, Lutheran World Federation, and Finn Church Aid, to pilot a robust professional development initiative for teachers in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya that includes teacher training, peer coaching, and mobile mentoring.