A group of Pakistani mathematics teachers has attended a four-month teacher-training program at George Mason University, USA sponsored by US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The educators came from poor, rural areas of Pakistan to learn more effective teaching methods. They took nine credits of coursework and had the opportunity to experience life in the United States for the first time.
In the United States, "they have the resources, but they also know how to utilise the resources, that is important," Altaf Ahmed told the Washington File.
Many of the teachers-turned-students said they learned important skills to solve problems and to make the most of their limited resources.
As part of the four-month program, the educators created action plans for applying their newly acquired skills, focusing on the ones they believed to be the most relevant to their home schools.
Many of the teachers' action plans involved "integrating process standards with content standards," said Khola Niazi.
Another participant explained that Pakistani teachers had the content or knowledge, but needed a better process for teaching.
One teacher explained that for his project, changing process standards meant shifting teaching methods from teacher-centred to student-centred.
"In the US, teachers do not provide the answer," said Raja Shuja-ud-Din and added, "You encourage students to find it on their own."
Traditional Pakistani teaching methods favour rote memorisation and repetition. The child-centred methods develop creativity and resourcefulness.
The group particularly wanted to emphasise the peacefulness of Islam in light of world events. They felt that exchange programmes such as theirs would help to promote understanding across cultures.
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