Staff Development: The Aga Khan Mzizima Secondary School, Dar Es Salaam

Teacher Recruitment
The School, with support from the Aga Khan Education Service, Tanzania, is committed to promoting and enhancing quality education. Teachers are carefully selected based on experience, commitment and enthusiasm.

Teachers are carefully recruited through a rigorous selection process. The School Management interviews short listed candidates. This is followed by a demonstration lesson in actual classroom settings during which the candidate’s teaching skills are assessed. Selection criteria includes: competence and experience in the subject area, understanding of modern teaching methods, commitment to student-centered learning, motivation towards the teaching learning process and openness to change.

Ongoing Professional Development
A unique feature of the Aga Khan Schools is its emphasis on ongoing staff professional development. Teachers keep abreast of pedagogical research, incorporating effective and diverse classroom teaching techniques. Faculty regularly discuss and share books, materials and teaching techniques promoting a learning culture amongst teachers.

In the teaching profession today, there is a paradigm shift that is diverting the focus of teaching from knowledge transmission (instruction) to knowledge construction. This shift arises out of the recognition that for a student to learn, he/she must initiate self-paced learning through play, discussion and project work. By organising, analysing and presenting findings, students construct their own knowledge and discover and expand their abilities.

In-service training sessions conducted for teachers include:

Team teaching and peer appraisal
Staff workshops and subject workshops with other schools
Termly school seminars on selected themes
Aga Khan Education Service, Tanzania network workshops
Membership of Professional Associations e.g. AISA, Global Connections
Exchange programmes with Phillips Academy, USA in English, Mathematics, Economics, Science, I.T., Library Technology
Linkage at Certificate, Diploma or Degree levels with Aga Khan University-Institute of Education Development.
Weekly Professional Development Sessions
Mentorship programme

Besides attending the weekly professional development sessions, teachers have the opportunity to pursue the Aga Khan University-Institute for Educational Development’s (AKU-IED, Karachi) two-month Certificate in Education Programme (CEP). So far, 30 percent of the faculty have attended this programme.

The CEP is now conducted locally at the School by AKU-IED master trainers. For the last two years the school has sponsored two teachers annually. The CEP also draws participants from various Tanzanian private and government schools. Presently, Alcuin Mwalongo is pursuing a Masters in Education course at the AKU-IED, Karachi, Pakistan.

Professional Development Centres
The Professional Development Centre (PDC) aims to develop a critical mass of education professionals (teachers, head teachers, inspectors, education officers and community members) who can combine theory, scholarly reflection and practice. These individuals educate colleagues and trainee teachers who become active promoters of change within the education system.

Professional Development Activities
The School pursues a number of professional development activities ranging from classroom observation to classroom based action research. They includ: weekly workshops, classroom visits (peer coaching), reflective practices, computer assisted teaching, library research work, computer usage for keeping and processing students records, writing standard tests / examinations that address Blooms Taxonomy requirements and HIV-AIDS awareness.

Ongoing Research
There are quite a number of classroom based action research papers produced by teachers. This research helps teachers deal with concerns and challenges met during the teaching process. Research skills are often discussed in the weekly workshops and conducted by School-based Professional Development Teachers (PDTs).

Mentor Program
This programme is an important part of the shift to an international standard in education, has brought to the school a number of educators who have extensive experience in teaching and administering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program throughout the world. This on-going program will continue to provide leadership and support in teaching, curriculum writing, assessment and focus on streamlining administrative structures to support teachers in their role.

Staff appraisal
The School follows an intensive appraisal system to monitor faculty and staff progress. The effectiveness of any School is clearly linked to attitudes, qualities and skill of its teaching staff and the appraisal process is necessary to stimulate exemplary performance.

Faculty and non-teaching staff appraisal takes place periodically through the year and a formal evaluation takes place at year-end. Department Heads, Professional Development Teachers and the Headmaster observe teachers. Syllabus coverage is monitored twice a term by the Academic Team who appraise work schemes, records and student exercise books.

An important part of the Appraisal process is a focus on goal setting and an acknowledgement of the role that administrators take in providing an environment where effective teaching can take place.