Introduction
Teachers have the most powerful influence on student learning. To maximize their positive impact, teachers need to (a) be prepared before they enter the classroom, and (b) develop their professional skills on an ongoing basis. This brief highlights the qualifications and professional development of Jordan’s teachers as explored on the 2018 National Teacher Survey, the main findings of which are outlined below.
- More than seven in 10 of Jordan’s teachers earned a Bachelor’s degrees or higher.
- While the majority of teachers attained a bachelor’s degrees, they were often not specialized in education; only slightly more than one in 10 grade 4-6 and 7-10 teachers reported holding degrees in Education.
- Fewer than one in five of the teachers who did not specialize in education in their community college or bachelor’s degrees, reported completing an additional pre-service teacher education program or diploma
- Only one in four grade 4-6 and 7-10 teachers reported having a pre-service qualification in Education, compared to more than three in five grade 1-3 teachers.
- UNRWA teachers were the most likely to report completing a pre-service education program (more than 55% of grade 4-10 teachers), while private school teachers were the least likely (17% for grade 4-10 teachers).
- More than nine in 10 teachers, across all grade levels, reported participating in at least one form of professional development in the 12 months prior to the survey.
- Professional development activities that relied on technology were more prominent in UNRWA and private schools (more than eight in 10) compared to MoE schools (seven in 10).
- The top three barriers to participating in professional development activities were lack of incentives, lack of transportation and conflict of training time with work schedule for teachers across all school types