THIRTY-five secondary school mathematics teachers drawn from the eleven the educational districts are currently undergoing training in content, methodology and delivery, the Ministry of Education said in a release.

The ten-day workshop, which commenced on Monday at the National Centre for Resource Development (NCERD), is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the World Bank.

The 35 teachers, called ‘Master Trainers’, are expected to go back to their respective regions and train the remaining maths teachers there, ultimately ensuring all maths teachers countrywide, from Grades 7 to 11, are exposed to the same training.

The workshop is being conducted by veteran maths teacher, Dr Yee Han Peter Joong, and consists of ten modules developed by the consultant himself and addresses areas such as geometry, matrices and vectors, senior mathematics topics among other topics to come under the spotlight at the training exercise.

The training was decided upon after a recent diagnostic assessment of a sample of mathematics teachers (approximately 200) was conducted. The rationale is to identify the most common topical knowledge gaps (for example algebra, geometry, trigonometry), and to inform current instructional practices that need upgrading.

This assessment was conducted by a five- member team, led by Mr Ameer Ali, Senior Education Officer (Mathematics) MoE; Mr Kevaun Sears, Mathematics Head of Department (HoD) at the Cyril Potter College of Education; Ms Leslin Elliot, Mathematics Specialist, NCERD; Mr Saddam Hussain, Mathematics HoD at Stewartville Secondary; and Mr Vishnu Panday, Mathematics Specialist, MoE.

Following the training, mathematics instructional specialists will conduct periodic school visits and formal observation of teachers’ mathematics teaching will be done.

Each school will be visited no less than three times per academic year over a four-year period. Visits will include classroom observations of all mathematics teachers, followed by verbal feedback, and coaching for teachers and Heads of the Mathematics Department.

Additionally, all secondary schools countrywide will receive kits containing mathematics teaching aids to enable and promote the application of desired instructional practices in specific content areas.

Added to that, mathematics teachers are expected to join and participate in an Online “community of practice” to complement these central, regional and school-based teacher professional development workshops.

This community of practice will be facilitated weekly by the mathematics technical group, which is composed of mathematics specialists from the MoE Secondary Secretariat, CPCE, NCERD, and the University of Guyana, each of which rotate responsibilities for sending out mathematics instructional tips, answering teachers’ questions, posting new on-line mathematics resources, etc.

Using the computer laboratories and Internet connections available at secondary schools, teachers will receive weekly tips, lesson plans, examples of effective teaching practices, and stories of other Guyanese mathematics teachers successfully applying the training.

A discussion space will also be put in place for teachers to post their own questions, share their experiences and even their lesson plans, and will be monitored by the Mathematics Technical Group.

Over time, this Online space will enable teachers to learn from each other virtually, and pursue their professional development on a continuous basis. The MoE and the World Bank have agreed to support a Secondary Education Improvement Project (SEIP), with a strong focus on improving instruction and student achievement in mathematics.

The project, which was started in 2014 and is expected to be completed in 2019, has three components: Strengthening the capacity of secondary school mathematics teachers nationwide (to the tune of US$1.8 M); the expansion of general secondary school facilities (US$7.15 M); and strengthening institutional capacity and project management (US$1.05 M).