Exploring Teacher Education for Sustainable Development in the UAE

Abstract

New ways of modernizing professional development programs (hereafter PDs) focus on the acquisition of new teaching methods and techniques through hands-on opportunities provided to teachers, thereby enabling them to practice and reflect on the knowledge gained. Moreover, the new vision of reform and sustainability in education emphasizes the development of sustainable PDs that resist disruptive factors, increase teachers’ commitment, and ensure more sustainable development across children’s lifespans. This study explores the impact of a piloted sustainable PD on the development of 16 teachers and head teachers’ attitudes about assessment practices, professional growth, and leadership skills. Qualitative data collected in the form of interviews, post-PD surveys, and reflections were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Findings indicate that the confidence in creating assessments and rubrics of participants in their different positions increased, and their ability to provide their students with engaging, sustainably developed assessments that improved higher-order thinking skills was also enhanced. The findings in this study demonstrated the need to develop within teachers the awareness that they can individually contribute towards a more sustainably developed classroom and learning environment. Although participants did make some changes to their classroom-based practices, these changes could not be well-maintained as they were limited by the high stakes involved in varying the structure of mandatory assessments required in the public education sector. It is hoped that the findings of this study can be used as a model for the development of sustainable PDs in education.