Location: India
In September 2020, Trinity College London conducted an English communication skills teacher training pilot project for the State Government of Punjab.
A face-to-face training programme was initially planned, but COVID-19 circumstances made it necessary to deliver this training virtually. After consultations and careful analysis, a complete 25-hour online training module was successfully delivered.
Improving English communication skills in Punjab
Hoping to improve learners' English Communication skills across all subjects in state schools, the Government of Punjab partnered with Trinity College London for this pilot project.
The Government explained that students were reluctant to communicate in English and had limited opportunities to do so outside of the classroom. It also outlined some concerns about teachers’ oral competency for the purposes of teaching English.
After addressing these issues in collaboration and adjusting the offering accordingly, a 25-hour module was designed and prepared for delivery via Zoom.
Targeted teacher training deployed virtually
A cohort of 30 teachers participated, benefitting from a 10-day remote training module led by three experienced Trinity subject experts Interactive daily sessions, each lasting two hours and 15 minutes, covered:
- Critical thinking
- Creative thinking
- Communication and collaboration
- English communication skills
- Classroom management
- Monitoring and feedback
- English speaking activities and interactive listening exercises
- Formative evaluation of English speaking and listening skills
- Summative evaluation of English speaking and listening skills
Feedback confirms training success
During the pilot project, teachers were emailed a feedback sheet daily. This allowed for dynamic adjustments and clarifications in the falling session. At the end of the module, overall feedback was also requested. This revealed that:
- 42% of participants felt highly confident
- 43% of participants felt very confident
- 14% of participants felt confident
We’re pleased to celebrate the success of this pilot project, and we look forward to future such opportunities to support and empower teachers to make a difference in the lives of their students.