Training Trainers for Teacher Education and Management in Kenya

Our Program

Key Information

Training Trainers for Teacher Education and Management in Kenya (TOTEMK)

Project theme: Solving the learning crisis.

Academic Disciplines: Education, Teacher training

Partner countries: Finland, Kenya

Project Budget: 1 479 511 € (MFA share 1 183 609 €)

Coordinating institution: University of Helsinki, Faculty of Educational Sciences

Contact details: Seija Karppinen, seija.karppinen(at)helsinki.fi

Partner Institutions: University of Nairobi, Strathmore University, Pwani University, Laurea – University of Applied Sciences

Associate partners: xEdu, Kenyan Ministry of Education (MoE), Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Kenya Teacher Service Commission (TSC), Kenya Commission of University Education (KCUE)

Project Description

The current challenges in education situation in Kenya calls for an urgent development of a comprehensive training of trainers programme to empower lecturers, teacher trainers and their students to deliver the changes that have been made in the existing basic school curricula (Competency Based Curriculum, CBC), within Basic Education Curriculum Framework (BECF), towards student-centered inquiry-based approaches and modern learning environments. The target of the TOTEMK project is to strengthen the capacity of Teacher Education and institutional management in Kenya, and get more teachers for the labor market that is competent to deliver tuition in line with the CBC in the Kenyan schools. The TOTEMK project strongly contributes to well-functioning, relevant and accessible higher education to students by responding to the learning crisis by developing in-service teacher training to correspond with current education needs and 21st century skills. This will be done with the help of new pedagogical tools; application of modern pedagogical technology; focusing on 21st century skills; and empower lecturers and their students on socio-cultural issues.

Key results to be achieved:

1. A scalable model for upgrading pedagogical and management skills of HE lectures/teacher trainers and their students to better respond CBC. The in-service training activities of the Project will boost the local training up to 20 partner country HEIs and even further.

2. Strengthened skills of teacher educators, student teachers and teachers in delivering tuition in technology enhanced learning environment and in accordance with 21st century skills.

3. Curriculum reform of the participating universities and teacher education in accordance with the CBC by including contents of the Project training into their HEIs’ Curricula. 

4. Access to in-service training for Kenyan teachers improved by MOOC. The jointly created MOOC will reach even a larger number of non-academic partners and students via existing institutional channels.

5. Empowering teachers’ awareness of socio-cultural issues such as gender equality, non-discrimination, sustainable development, and circular economy.

6. Boosting the ecosystem for Kenyan start-ups in the field of education technology. Activating local EdTech startups to dialogue between Kenyan universities will boost action between the local startup ecosystem and the education sector.