Teacher Training: Antidote to High Turnover?

289,019 students of 185 nationalities come together in private KG-12 schools all across the emirate of Dubai. In this truly unique educational ecosystem that international schools pose, English as a medium of instruction plays a pivotal role in getting students ready for higher education and life beyond.

Much has recently been written about the growing?problem of teacher shortages. Such shortages are exacerbated by high rates of teacher turnover at the school level, which is of great interest in its own right. Apart from the financial costs, it?has been shown to reduce?student achievement.

One study suggests that the disruptive effects of teacher turnover are mitigated where there is a higher emphasis on teacher quality, and hence teacher training. The main concern is that teacher turnover gives way to a lower distribution of teacher quality per school.

According to KHDA , the school regulatory body In Dubai which performs an annual evaluation audit and ranking of schools, “outstanding” and “very good” schools average a teacher attrition rate of 14% annually, “good” schools see a 23% average teacher turnover rate, and “acceptable” schools a whopping 30% (this needs a date and year).

Many recommendations from the school inspection framework , particularly under teacher quality enhancement, point to the need for world-class teacher training programs that have been tried and tested with great success.

Comparing the UAE framework indicators with Eton Institute’s market-leading teacher training programs like the Cambridge-accredited CELTA and our long-running TESOL program, a few commonalities can be observed. Of primary importance are the following

1. Teachers’ knowledge of their subjects and how students learn them
2. Lesson planning and delivery suitable for the learning environment
3. The use of time and resources in a digitally-enabled physical or online classroom
4. Teacher-student interactions including the use of questions, dialogue, and discussion
5. Teaching strategies to meet the needs of individuals and the class
6. Teaching to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation

There are currently 20,644 registered teachers in Dubai’s private KG-12 school system. According to the 2020-2021 round of school inspections, more than 50% of teachers can improve by making use of assessment data effectively, personalizing learning pathways for their pupils, tracking progress over time, and providing students with effective feedback.?

This points to the need for effective teaching strategies that blend traditional tools and approaches with modern and digitally-enabled ones, and work towards group learning and achievement while not leaving out students who need more personalized instruction and individual attention.

Interestingly, most primary school students make only minimal progress in ‘reading’ English according to the latest school audits. The provision for students who are new to the school and those who require more intensive support is not sufficiently personalized to meet their needs.

And this is where the deployment of Eton’s teacher training programs like CELTA or TESOL can play a role in enhancing teacher quality. Teachers who undergo these programs master classroom management techniques in a non-native speaking environment and learn how to effectively personalize learning paths.

A trained teacher will develop students’ skills and understanding through inquiry and learning activities that are well matched to their needs. If teachers can raise the expectations of more able students and provide challenge and rigor while ensuring that lessons are taught as planned – student attainment and teacher quality will not be as greatly impacted by turnover in Dubai’s K-12 school system.

Sheikh Mohammed has rightly said, “education will never stop ”. This should apply to students and teachers alike. To learn more about how Eton Institute has supported teachers and organizations meet their National Agenda goals through bespoke teacher training, get in touch with us today.