REPORT ON DISCUSSIONS RELATING TO SERBIA

ETF Workshop on Continuing Professional Development for Teachers and Trainers working in TVET, 11th and 12th March, 2015, Belgrade

SHEET ONE

FEEDBACK FROM THE SERBIAN COUNTRY TEAM – WEDNESDAY, 10/03/2015

Identified weaknesses:

-there is no adequate (almost no) provision of trainings in vocational fields and related to vocational teaching – the offered trainings are related to general teaching issues;

-there are no adequate providers of vocational trainings – related to vocational cooperation, skills or new technologies;

-there is no monitoring or evaluation of the policy implementation;

-the offered trainings and programmes are not equally distributed across different vocational sectors;

-training of vocational teachers is more expensive – special equipment is needed;

-the policy defines the minimum number of teachers per training, and there are not enough teachers of specific, vocational subjects to fulfill this norm – therefore, there are no interested authors/trainers, and companies are not interested to participate;

-there is no training of company trainers, and mentorship is not obligatory;

-vocational teachers in three-year schools are awarded multiple subjects (6-7) and class guidance (??), while they do not have the necessary pedagogic training;

-trainings are financed from the local budget, and that fact decides where there will be regional centres – the entire local budget is transferred to the regional centre;

-it is a great challenge to overcome the gaps in teachers’ training with professional development programmes;

-grading criteria are different, outcomes are different – all kinds of assessment and grading should be covered by the CPD trainings;

-CPD trainings should cover the basics of pedagogic psychology.

Identified strengths:

-teachers are undergoing CPD trainings and receiving licenses and points (??);

-teachers from VET schools have undergone more seminars due to the experimental educational profiles, which made the accredited seminars’ base richer;

-VET teachers are more motivated because they fight for every student;

-VET teachers attend quality non-accredited seminars;

-experimental profiles have advanced teaching and cooperation;

-There is a CPD system, with a legal foundation.

STAGE 1 /  / STAGE 2 /  / STAGE 3 / 
1 / Some teachers receive mentoring / Mentoring is a legal requirement for all new teachers during their first year of teaching /  / Mentors are trained and available so that effective mentoring is provided for all new teachers
2 / There are some good providers of CPD that is appropriate for VET teachers. /  / Providers (public or private) of high quality CPD for VET teachers are well established and have sufficient capacity /  / Systems exist to accredit and quality assure CPD programmes and delivery to ensure that they meet the needs of VET schools and VET teachers / Yes for QA
3 / VET school development includes planning for the training of teachers, e.g. a school training plan /  / VET schools support CPD for their staff and ensure that it is linked to school objectives, e.g. through appraisal / VET schools are evaluated on the quality of their training plans and actions
4 / VET teachers informally support one another by providing advice and through team work /  / VET schools organise and deliver CPD for their own staff, for example, through mentoring, observation, peer support, staff training sessions /  / VET schools use CPD extensively in order to bring about improved teaching and learning, to innovate and to meet development goals, e.g. internal or external. / There are some examples
5 / VET teachers are involved in assessing their own CPD needs and planning their own training /  / CPD is recognised, for example, through VET teachers’ career structure, through assessment, using professional development portfolios, through certification / CPD is systematically recognised and is highly valued professionally, for example, through a Master’s degree and in the career structure. Teachers can be recognised as contributing to CPD, e.g. as mentors
6 / The cost of CPD is mostly met by the individual teacher / The cost of CPD is mostly met by the state, so there is no or little charge for the user /  / Resources are allocated to make it possible for VET teachers and VET schools to prioritise their needs and commission provision to meet those needs. / resources allocated to municipalities but may not be adequate for schools
The cost of CPD is mostly met by the VET school or the employer
7 / The design of CPD is informed by the needs of the main stakeholders: VET teachers, schools, employers / _ / The design of CPD takes systematic account of the needs of VET teachers and VET schools and also national priorities, e.g. new curricula / _ / VET teachers and VET schools value the CPD that is on offer: they believe that it improves their teaching and that it meets their priorities / _
8 / The needs of individual VET teachers are taken into account when CPD is assigned / The process of assigning CPD takes into account both the view of the individual teacher and that of the school /  / There is a transparent and objective process to ensure that CPD for VET teachers is fairly distributed and that the needs of individuals and of schools is taken into account (this implies that CPD users have some choice).
9 / CPD takes place during teaching hours and teachers are expected to make arrangements so that their colleagues teach their lessons or they cancel lessons / CPD usually takes place outside of normal teaching time /  / Time is available to make it possible for VET teachers and VET schools to meet their training needs without cutting teaching, e.g. CPD time is included within the contract and planned for. / 

SHEET TWO

Policy for continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers and trainers working in VET in SERBIA.

  1. What has already been established as policy in your country?
  1. What is the current policy commitment with respect to CPD for VET teachers and trainers?
  2. What consultation took place and how is the policy documented
  1. What are the concrete steps that will follow as a consequence of this policy commitment, e.g. institutional change, development of tools or programmes etc?
  1. What is the status of implementation?
  2. What are the barriers to implementation?
  3. What are the next steps for policy development?

There is a legal and institutional framework for the system of CPD of all teachers (VET teachers are not separate). New legal document is approved in 2013 and includes professional development of teachers based on in-service teacher training.

There is a system for the accreditation of CPD programmes, and the regulations regarding the number of necessary points and licences. The catalogue of CPD programmes is developed every two years, and there is a problem of its construction (small offer of trainings for VET teachers). The CPD priorities are determined by the Ministry and the school and individual development plans of teachers.

The barriers to implementation are:

  • lack of knowledge of what the Ministry does with the schools’ yearly reports, which include the information on the undertaken CPD;
  • lack of motivation; mechanisms that are needed for the good functioning of this system;
  • programmes deal more with the general teacher and pedagogic training, not with vocational knowledge;
  • current system of funding ( based on governmental resources and local authorities) could be barrier in poor local communities or depends from local authorities;
  • trainings offer in catalogues are more focused on improvement of teaching than for professional knowledge and skills (more attractive for VET teachers).

A big problem in implementation is a lack of monitoring or evaluation of the policy implementation, there is no quality control. Also, school-based in-service teacher training is missing, and the funding issue is evident in the offer for VET teachers (less number of VET teachers and trainings for them are more expensive). Poor local communities have less good provision of CPD.

Each policy document is followed by a broad public discussion. The policy is documented in strategies and laws. The new policy will bring the new Regulation on CPD.

Proposing measures for future development of CPD:

  • improvement of the CPD system;
  • new models of CPD;
  • implementation of Action plan for the Strategy for the Development of Education in Serbia
  • new approach to the concept of catalogue especially for VET teacher
  • dividing VET teachers from whole group of teachers as a separate group in CPD
  • better implementations
  • cooperation between employers and VET teachers and VET schools
  1. Setting a vision: what will CPD for VET teachers and trainers will look like in three years’ timein your country?

The system will recognise to a greater extent the teachers’/instructors’/trainers’ learning needs in continuously changing circumstances. A developed system of quality assurance will be established (standards of achievement, schools, work, monitoring, and evaluation).

  1. What level of entitlement in terms of days? (e.g. 3 days per year)

Three days a year, 120 hours per five years. (=24 hours pa)

  1. Which organisations will provide CPD for VET teachers and trainers to meet that entitlement?

Open market, accredited providers, Institute for Improvement of Education (Centre for professional development of employed in education)

  1. How will responsibilities be shared between central government, specialist CPD providers and VET schools

This is already defined in the legal documents

  1. How will provision be accredited and quality assured?

??

  1. How will CPD be made responsive to the needs of VET schools and VET teachers and VET students and employers?

The already mentioned Action Plan for the Strategy; needs analysis; provision analysis.

  1. How will CPD for VET teachers and trainers be incentivised and recognised?

It will be defined by the new Regulation of CPD that will be produced in the next few months.

  1. What forms of CPD will be available for different kinds of VET professionals:

It will be defined by the new Regulation of CPD.

  1. VET teachers in VET school?
  2. trainers working in training centres for young people and adults?
  3. trainers working in companies?
  1. What can be done in the next 12 – 36 months?
  1. What further developments in policy should take place?

Action Plan; a new Regulation; a registry of teachers; introducing new models; CPD should become a priority area of development of the entire educational system; defining specific competencies of VET teachers, instructors and trainers.

  1. What knowledge or information should be collected or produced?
  2. What skills or capabilities should be developed as a basis for the planned improvements?
  3. What kinds of pilot or demonstration project would be appropriate?

Vertically connecting upper-secondary schools, VET secondary schools and counsellors within sectors.

DISCUSSION OF SERBIAN TEAM REGARDING MAPING OF PROVISION AND DEMAND FOR CPD

  1. Serbian team approved proposed objectives and purposes of survey
  2. Serbian team is insisting on absolutely anonymity in survey (legal policy and legal framework in Serbia regarding anonymity in surveys and researchers is obligatory).
  3. Serbian team had big discussion and dilemmas regarding sample especially of the number of VET schools. We sent to the Ministry information regarding sample and we are waiting their answer and after that we could finalise common statement regarding the number of VET schools and number of questionnaires.
  4. Regarding the questionnaires (Interviews) Serbian team didn’t have any comments
  5. Regarding the questionnaires for teachers Serbian team has comments but we agreed wait translations and after that make and give comments.

DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS

Proposals from Serbian Team for changes:

  1. Objectives
  • Support implementation policy
  • Develop capability of organisation and individuals
  1. Activities
  2. Develop practitioner networks
  3. Develop partnership between organisations
  4. Support replication or multiplication

Three key activities in Serbia in three years as a implementation of Action plan of Strategy of education

  1. Develop quality assurance system
  2. Develop the system of monitoring and evaluation of CPD
  3. Develop new CPD approach (new models of CPD, financing, standards)

......

PROPOSED CRITERIA FOR THE EVALUATION OF DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS TO SUPPORT CPD (PART OF PROPOSAL / FULL PROPOSAL WILL COME FROM Maxim Konini s report(

The demonstration project must
  1. Relate to national policy priorities for CPD linking already identified needs

  1. Should have partnership between 2 parties or relevant support from stakeholders

3. specify the number and character of beneficiaries
4. be informed by up/to/day evidence about the needs of VET teachers and trainers
5. develop capability of organisations and individuals to design or deliver or govern CPD in the future
  1. Include clear proposal for internal evaluation, eg set out quantitative or qualitative impact measures

  1. Provide evidence of effective project management and financial security

  1. Sustainability of the projects (responsibility of the Country)

Add value
  1. Addressing the needs of a group of VET teachers and trainers

  1. Empowering VET teachers and trainers to take grater responsibility for their own professional development

  1. Offer value of money / project has to follow up activities which h as assessment impact

  1. Specific country criteria