Teachers, Teacher Education, and Professional Development
Developing the performance of the educational system and achieving the intended results of its reform depend on the quality of teacher training and its compatibility with the developments in school curricula and the innovations triggered by results of educational research. In fact, school innovation and achievement depend largely on the quality of educatorsʼ and other stakeholdersʼ involvement. Their full engagement in improving teaching, their motivation, and their inquisitiveness as to how educational systems in other spheres perform better is key to progress. In other words, education requires high quality and effective preservice training, including self-development and institutionally triggered in-service training for all educational actors, including leadership.
Teacher Education Specific to Reading
The Regional Centers for Education and Training Professions (Centres régionaux des métiers de l’éducation et de la formation) provide full time courses and a practicum leading to a professional graduate certificate in education. To be admitted to these teacher training centers, applicants hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Further, they need to pass a written entrance examination and participate in a background interview. The entrance examination assesses candidates’ general knowledge of culture with a particular focus on reading and writing. The background interview looks at candidatesʼ motivation for the job, communication skills, human rapport, and other personal qualities that will help them cope with students in different education levels and situations. Education for primary school, lower secondary school, and upper secondary school teachers consists of a one year practice-based course for teacher trainees, which includes a practicum and supervised class observations intended to provide hands-on experience in teaching. Courses also use a modular approach. Modules specific to teaching approaches for reading and reading theories are becoming more focused and converge with the newly revised language curriculum. Teacher education generally is divided into two major areas:
- Foundational knowledge of specific issues related to the philosophy of education, education psychology, and the sociology of education
- Methodologies for teaching different content areas
Upon completion of the training course, teacher trainees are appointed to primary, lower secondary, or upper secondary schools.
Requirements for Ongoing Professional Development in Reading for Teachers
The National Charter for Education and Training prioritizes professional development for teachers and school administrators.18 Pedagogical inspectors play an important role in the education system in Morocco. Among other endeavors, they design teacher professional development programs, colloquia, and seminars, and they supervise teachers to further improve teaching and learning within the 12 regional Academies for Education and Training across the country. These practices are conceived of as a means to ensure professional competenciesʼ suitability and sustainability. Therefore, continual development training sessions are organized to respond to the needs of target groups and of the whole educational system by other educational stakeholders. International agencies like United States Agency for International Development (USAID), UNICEF, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) work with the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training to help teachers and school staff benefit from regular courses to enable them to cope with the requirements of new curricula and intervention plans. For instance, because of the priority now allotted to the first four years of primary education, a series of in-service training sessions has been offered to primary education teachers that assists them with implementing aspects of the newly revised curricula (e.g., languages, mathematics, science).19
Finally, it is worth mentioning that professional development plays a vital role for teachers in promoting their professional competencies, especially when they are opened up to diverse educational advances and best experiences and practices. Teacher development also helps teachers surpass the boundaries of the classroom to become researchers, innovators, and leaders.