Teacher education at a distance: impact on development in the community

The benefits of teaching teachers by distance education in Guyana, Uganda and Nigeria

By: Binns F & Wrightson T
Published by: Department of International Development (DFID), 2006
Via: Eldis

Does training teachers by distance education (DE) assist development in the wider community? Experiences of using DE to train teacher in Guyana, Uganda and Nigeria inform this report, which aims to:

• improve understanding of how the DE infrastructure contributes to the community inside and outside school
• show how training teachers using DE methodologies impact both their community and their role in it
• compare the impact of teacher education by DE in the three countries and at different stages of development and scale.

The study establishes several positive impacts of teacher training on the local communities. Recommendations for harnessing this potential call for a balanced approach, which recognises that the point of equilibrium is context and audience specific. Suggestions include:

• strike a balance between conventional and distance delivery of training
• allot resources equitably to serve rural and urban communities’ needs
• balance distribution of funds carefully over time, considering the need to maintain a robust system of continuing professional development to keep their teachers up to date
• focus on teacher training, while enhancing its positive impact on the community.