STRENGTHENING TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORSHIP (STPDM)

Low quality of basic education is perceived as one of the core challenges, which is strongly based on the neglection of quality teacher education and training and strained budgets for education. To enhance quality, the project supports the Local Government Authorities (LGAs) to spread and advocate for the Inclusive School based In-service Teacher Training (SITT).

SITT has evolved from the earlier Quality Education through the Expert Teacher System (QUEETS) initiative. Since 2016, SITT has generated other 3 Research-based projects: Strengthening Inservice Teacher Mentorship and Support (STMS), Strengthening Teacher Professional Development and Mentorship (STPDM) and Teacher Professional Development at Scale: Leveraging Teachers’ Perspectives for Success (TPDS: LTPS) which are action research projects where Helvetas works with various renown Universities.

Project Goal: Enhancing Primary school teachers’ professional development by generating and improving teaching and learning through a well-functioning inclusive school-based in-service teacher training (SITT) model, for more effective teaching, empowered pupils, and a better basic education for Tanzania, Kenya and South Sudan.

Project Direct Beneficiaries: The project aims to build the capacity of 140 teachers(female 91 & male 49) from 35 primary schools on Mathematics, Science integrating ICT and Life Skills using SITT innovation expecting to benefit more than 34,237 pupils (girls 17,180 & boys 17,05) from 35 public primary schools through trained 28 tutors from 7 teacher colleges that as well benefits about 3,200 student-teachers.

Project Partners:Local Partners are Ministry of Education Science and Technology, Prime Minister’s Office-Regional Administration and Local Government,  LGAs, TCs, Secondary and Primary schools, TTU,  TEN/MET, DUCE.

Internationa Partners: International Partners: Kibabii University of Kenya and University of Juba South Sudan.

TRACKING PROGRESS: STRENGTHENING TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORSHIP ACROSS EAST AFRICA

The Strengthening Teacher Professional Development and Mentorship (STPDM) project is a 30-month initiative (July 2024 – December 2026) funded by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) through the Global Partnership for Education's Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPE KIX). Implemented by HELVETAS Tanzania in collaboration with the Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE), Kibabii University (Kenya), and the University of Juba (South Sudan), the project applies the School-based In-service Teacher Training (SITT) model to enhance professional development in Mathematics, Science, and Life Skills. Integrating ICT, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), teacher agency, and teacher well-being, the initiative targets 21 Teacher Colleges across the three countries, each mentoring five primary schools—totaling 105 schools with 420 directly trained teachers. In Tanzania, participating colleges include Bustani, Kinampanda, Patandi, Singachini, Morogoro, Vikindu, and DUCE, with DUCE providing research leadership and HELVETAS contributing technical expertise.

Significant progress has been made in building institutional and individual capacity through a multi-tiered training approach. To date, the project has trained 7 principals and 22 tutors through Training of Trainers (ToT) programs, alongside 35 head teachers and 70 subject teachers, strengthening leadership and subject-specific teaching skills. Education administrators have also benefited, with 32 Ward Education Officers (WEOs) and 66 Local Government Authority staff trained, ensuring that systemic support extends beyond the classroom. These capacity-building efforts have established robust mentorship structures, with tutors and education leaders now equipped to provide ongoing guidance and support to teachers in their respective schools.

The project's reach and impact are already evident across the education system. A total of 34,237 pupils (17,180 boys and 17,057 girls) and 1,852 student teachers (889 male, 963 female) have directly benefited from improved teaching practices in Mathematics, Science, and Life Skills. Key achievements include enhanced leadership capacity at school and college levels, improved classroom teaching methodologies, and the establishment of sustainable mentorship frameworks that link teacher training institutions with practicing schools. These results demonstrate a system-wide transformation—from leadership training to classroom practice—positioning the STPDM project as a model for teacher professional development that can be scaled across the region.