Malawi Pre-Service Teacher Training
Seward Incorporated, as part of the larger USAID funded Malawi Teacher Training Activity, was subcontracted for the design and development of an interactive training DVD on for use in pre-service teacher training. The DVD provides a consistent means of presenting pre-service teachers with lessons demonstrating actual classroom instruction on Life Skills topics related to HIV and AIDS. These materials
are intended to be incorporated into the teacher preparations curricula at all of Malawi’s Teacher Training Centers (TTCs). Video of the lessons was produced by a crew from the Malawi Institute for Education. The teachers and classrooms in the videos represent a number of schools. One demonstration lesson is provided for each level, Standards 1-8. Two discs were produced. The first contains lessons from Standards 1-4, where the classroom instruction is in Chichewa. The second disc contains lessons from Standards 4-8, where the classroom instruction is in English.
The DVDs, along with their supporting manual, which contains suggested uses, are intended for use by TTC faculty while teaching Life Skill content and pedagogy to pre-service teachers. The primary recommended means of using the DVDs is to project them for large group viewing, critiquing, and discussion. However, the DVD players are small, portable, and can operate with battery power for approximately 3 hours. This makes it possible for the materials to be used in a variety of ways including individual student viewing, small groups activities, and off-site with student teachers or in-service teachers. (Note: Projector with build-in speakers and portable DVD players were provided to the TTCs as part of this project.)
Highlights of the training included:
- Lessons – Users are presented with a menu of topics/titles for grade levels lessons from which to select (grades 1-4 on disc 1, grades 5-8 on disc 2). Selecting a lesson takes the users to the introduction page where they are presented with information on the location of the lesson, the teacher, lesson topic, and purpose for the lesson. Lessons average about 13 minutes in length when viewed in their entirety. Each lesson is followed a brief interview with the teacher, which includes a series of important questions about the lesson and the teacher’s responses. (Using the DVD player control panel or remote control, users can choose to navigate from section to section within a lesson, the teacher interview, or elsewhere on the disc.)
- Instructional Techniques – This section allows the users to view teaching methods (excepted from the lesson videos) in isolation and by grade level. From the Techniques menu, users select from methods such as group discussion, questioning, readings, role play, or song. Their selection takes them to a menu from with they can access examples of the technique being used at specific grade levels (within the levels addressed on the disc).
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