Pre-Service Teacher Education in Armenia (PSE)

Program Overview

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State

The Pre-Service Teacher Education in Armenia program (PSE) began in 2002 with three focus areas: pre-service curriculum development, pre-service teacher training, and student teaching practices in primary and secondary schools. A prograom of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State, PSE instructs future primary and secondary teachers in modern student-centered teaching methodologies.

KEY ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES

Initiate instructional and curriculum reform in teacher-training institutions by empowering local specialists and teachers
Address the education professional training cycle by improving pre-service teachers’ student teaching practice in secondary schools

PROJECT RESULTS

Over 600 faculty and 1,000 pre-service teachers from 12 pedagogical institutions of higher education trained
Over 200 clinical faculty in middle schools trained
Two handbooks on pre-service curriculum design and teacher training methodologies for social studies published and adopted by several pedagogical institutions

Project Activities

Pre-Service Curriculum Development: The PSE program created a local pool of education specialists who examined US pre-service teacher training curriculum. In collaboration with US education experts, PSE participants developed new curriculum suited to the Armenian system, culture, and reality for teacher training institutions. The PSE approach fostered ownership of the reforms among Armenian practitioners, empowering them to affect further change.
Pre-Service Teacher Training: A local teacher trainer corps provided trainings to faculty in pedagogical universities and experienced clinical faculty in primary and secondary schools to use educational techniques and methodology that foster critical thinking and intellectual curiosity in pre-service teachers. Through its focus on training faculty and pre-service teachers the program developed a new generation of teachers that took student-centered methodology to primary and secondary schools thus multiplying the program’s impact throughout Armenia.
Improving Student Teaching Practices In Primary And Secondary Schools: Select primary and secondary schools served as clinical schools where pre-service teachers from pedagogical institutions observed and worked collaboratively with experienced faculty, developing lesson plans and teachers’ portfolios. The pre-service teachers built their experience in using PSE student-centered methodology by actively aiding the faculty in the classroom, co-teaching and finally teaching on their own.

IREX Education Work in Armenia

Established in Armenia in 1992, IREX has been implementing teacher and school administrator training programs since 1998. Over 10,000 in-service and pre-service teachers and school administrators were trained in modern teaching methodologies, curriculum design, and educational leadership.

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