Throughout its 10 year history in Indonesia, IRD has trained teachers, government trainers, and administrators to incorporate proven and best practice teaching methodology into primary and junior secondary education curricula.

Developing the Capacity of National and District Government Trainers to Become Effective Teacher-Trainers and Mentors

IRD uses a cascade training module that consists of training national “core” trainers to train district trainers to train teachers. In 2007, IRD trained 83 national level trainers in better teaching and effective facilitation techniques, 37 trainers in subject-specific modules, 38 in assessment learning methodology, 26 in non-curricular life skills toolkits, and 12 to establish public-private partnerships. IRD distributed 1,510 life skills modules and 350 Opportunity for Life, Learning and Work toolkits for trainers to use the IRD developed tools and approaches with teachers participating in the USAID Decentralized Basic Education project (DBE3). IRD recruits principals and superintendents as national and district level trainers so they can reinforce appropriate application of life skills methods learned during classroom monitoring visits. IRD also invites private educational foundations to participate in teacher-training workshops to encourage extending the program to non-DBE3 schools and teachers. District governments in Kudus, Jepara, and Boyolali have allocated Rp. 300 million to duplicate activities in non-target schools. The Muhammadiyah Foundation has adopted the DBE3 approach and materials.

Training Junior Secondary School Teachers in 7-Module Life Skills Training Program

IRD has trained 1,935 teachers in Central Java to use seven life skills education modules aimed to enable students to learn actively, think critically, work cooperatively, and develop personal, social, academic, and vocational skills necessary for future life, education, and work. The three foundational modules facilitate teachers of all subjects to integrate better teaching and learning strategies, technology, and life skills into the curriculum. The three subject-specific modules provide civics, math, and English teachers with practical examples of how they can use information, people, and resources in their environment to enhance students’ development of subject knowledge and life skills. The final assessment module prepares teachers to measure students’ acquisition of life skills through formal and informal assessment. Based on a life skills program assessment conducted in January 2008, students are more enthusiastic to learn thanks to the active and participatory DBE3 methods teachers are using in the classroom.

IRD has facilitated training of 20 district trainers in Central Java to become master trainers qualified to deliver Intel Corps’ “Getting Started” guide, which equips teachers with basic computer skills. Nearly 200 teachers have learned to use Excel, Microsoft Word, and PowerPoint for administrative and teaching purposes. Teachers who have participated in the program are now more confident and capable of using technology with their students.

Through the basic education component of the School Health Improvement Project (SHIP), IRD empowered teachers from 50 primary schools throughout Yogyakarta with active, participatory, and integrated teaching and learning approaches. IRD trained over 200 teachers to use active and joyful learning approaches and provided hands-on coaching resulting in sustained change in the classroom. IRD pioneered an approach that integrated health across seven curricular subjects in grades 4-6 and trained 20 health teachers. Site visits prove that the training has been successful. Schools and governments outside of the pilot project area have begun adopting this approach.