Strengthening Teacher Education
& Practice (STEP) Activity – Malawi

The Strengthening Teacher Education and Practice (STEP) Activity works hand-in-hand with the Malawian Ministry of Education and higher education institutions to improve pre-service teacher education and develop pathways for the continuous professional development of early grade teachers. STEP will strengthen the professional development of teachers throughout their careers and impact every primary school teacher in Malawi.

Funded by the United Agency for International Development and implemented by Florida State University in partnership with School-to-School International, the Government of Malawi’s Ministry of Education, the University of Malawi/Chancellor College, Development Aid People to People (DAPP Malawi), CharChar Literacy, and teacher training colleges across Malawi.

About the Activity’s Work

Launched in 2022, the Malawi STEP Activity will work with the Ministry of Education to strengthen pre-service primary school teacher education at all teacher training colleges and higher education institutions in Malawi.

The STEP Activity’s work in pre-service will emphasize early grade literacy instruction and inclusive education practices. The STEP Activity will also support the implementation of a continuous professional development system that allows primary school teachers to build their knowledge and skillsets throughout their careers as educators.

Activity Objectives

Strengthen Primary Teacher Preparations Programs

Enhance the strategic planning capacity of the Ministry of Education and Teacher Training Colleges.

Support student-teacher practicum, student teaching, and student research and ensure they are connected to the preparatory curriculum.

Improve the quality and delivery of curriculum to pre-service teachers, including through alternative delivery modalities and principles of Universal Design for Learning.

Provide professional development opportunities meant to refresh in-classroom realities for TTC faculty.

Operationalize a Continuing Professional Development Framework

Link in-service professional development for primary school educators to a formal career path.

Develop sustainable and effective service delivery models to meet CPD needs at a national and district level.

Strengthened the Ministry’s ability to implement and monitor the CPD framework at a national and district level.

Support and strengthened institutional connections to the Ministry and CPD framework.

Establish new teacher induction standards as part of the CPD framework.

Recent Activity

Year 1 Work Planning: Ministry ownership of the Malawi STEP activities is essential to maximizing impact, building government capacity, and ensuring sustainability. To this end, STEP held a collaborative work plan development workshop consisting of consultative sessions that focused on specific objectives of the STEP activity. Work planning was an interactive process that included representatives from multiple directorates within the Ministry of Education, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), UNICEF, and USAID alongside consortium partners.

Baseline Situation Analysis: The Baseline Situation Analysis (BSA) is the cornerstone of all STEP interventions. It was the first major monitoring and evaluation activity that the consortium undertook in tandem with the Ministry of Education. By examining the internal and external factors related to teacher education, STEP can paint a picture of how to make improved primary teacher training a reality in Malawi. STEP will use the findings to build political will, prioritize program interventions, inform implementation, and identify key stakeholders, partners, and collaborators.