Embargo Period

5-10-2018

Degree Name

MA in International Education

First Advisor

Karla Sarr

Abstract

Institutos de Formaçao de Professores (IFP, Teacher Training Institutes) are institutes that train future primary school teachers in Mozambique. By attending IFPs, individuals learn how to become quality teachers. Most IFP students, also referred to as trainees, look up to their teacher trainers as role models for their future task of being teachers. It follows that they would expect trainers to embody and demonstrate the qualities of a good, quality teacher. The aim of this study is to understand what is expected of teacher trainers from society, trainees, and the trainers themselves. To do so, this mixed-methods study will present data collected through questionnaires and focus group discussions conducted at one of the IFPs present in Mozambique. The participants selected to participate in this study were four teacher trainers (out of 31), and twelve trainees (out of 228). The findings of this study indicate that the participants believe teachers are important for both an individual’s education and for their country’s growth. A teacher’s role is to be a positive model, be exemplary and a mediator of knowledge in front of students. The findings suggest that it is no different for teacher trainers at the IFP, where both trainees and trainers express expectations that trainers prepare individuals to become quality teachers. The data indicate that at the IFP there are both positive and negative models, and that there is a need for strategies to foster a more valuable learning community as well as greater resource allocation. The present study contributes to the teacher training literature by providing important insights about the current situation of one teacher training institute in Mozambique. This capstone could also serve as a starting point for reflections on the role and importance of teacher trainers and their institutions, in general.

Disciplines

African Studies | Curriculum and Instruction | Education | Educational Administration and Supervision | Teacher Education and Professional Development | Vocational Education

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