Supporting Early Childhood Education Teachers in Refugee Settings

Our approach is based on developing and supporting the skills of teachers, given that non-governmental organisations, charities and agencies that provide ECE often have limited capacity and resources to provide training and professional development opportunities for teachers. We have identified four ways to achieve this:

1. Make the Science of Early Childhood Development and Learning More Accessible

Training for ECE teachers in refugee settings is usually extremely limited. When teachers are trained, they are often not fully equipped with strategies that can help children achieve their greatest potential. Teachers may learn activities for working with students but often do not receive much training on the science of early childhood development. Understanding the science of ECD has revolutionised the way the world approaches support for

young children. Learning about the basic science of ECD, including the impact of trauma and the value of nurturing relationships, can help teachers understand what strategies are effective with their students and why. This can also help make teachers more effective and confident.

There are very few accessible resources on the basic science of ECD that target teachers. While teaching resources must always be tailored to the geographic context in which teachers are operating, we believe theoretical training on the basic science of ECD can be more universal with local examples added when possible.

We are seeking to make these resources accessible to ECE teachers working with refugee children. Resources on the science of ECD should be translated into the language required and delivery made adaptable to all appropriate devices and modalities. Though some resources do already exist to make the science of early childhood development more accessible, they are often aimed at non-teaching audiences such as policy-makers or designed for audiences with high speed internet. They often take the format of massive open online courses (MOOCs) or online and in-person training courses, which can be hard for teachers operating in refugee settings to access. To reach teachers without internet access or high data bandwidth, radio and WhatsApp- or SMS-based resources will need to be explored. Lessons can be learned here from the pandemic, which has necessitated lower tech approaches.

2. Partner with TVET Institutions in Refugee Settings

In addition to making the science of ECD more accessible to teachers, providing teachers with practical, context-relevant training and support is essential. Our research pointed to the viability of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to deliver this kind of support. TVET institutions have great potential to support refugee ECE through the co-design and delivery of training courses and offering micro-credentials and certificates.

Many implementers of refugee education, even those offering some form of professional development, express a desire for more training and support opportunities. Local TVET institutions are an untapped resource for providing formal training, peer learning opportunities and recognition of ongoing teachers’ work-based learning.

TVET institutions could be well-positioned to provide contextualised, work-based training and support in the settings where these teachers work. Theirworld and partners would create the content, provide it to TVET institutions and support them in designing and delivering courses for teachers. The institutions would be assisted with providing micro-credentials for teachers who completed courses and provided incentives to do so.

Teachers working with young refugee children can often feel isolated, and their work is often not recognised beyond certificates from implementing organisations recording their participation.

They may be working in large, tented spaces, temporary shelters or small educational centres or community spaces located in or near refugee camps. Often, teachers are refugees themselves, and may not have opportunities to interact with peers. Locally designed courses and micro-credentialing would offer them a sense of peer learning and support, and strengthen their links with TVET institutions, which could be useful to their later professional opportunities.