Second National Workshop on Incorporating ICT competency standards for teachers into the Teacher Training Programs in Tajikistan

From April 16 to 19, 45 education professionals participated in the Second National Workshop on the incorporating ICT competency standards for teachers into the teacher training programs in Tajikistan. This seminar was held as part of the UNESCO project "Strengthening competency – based and ICT – enabled STEM and VET education and teacher – training in Tajikistan" funded by the European Union. Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science of Tajikistan, the Academy of Education of Tajikistan, the Republican Institute for Teacher Training Institute (RTTI), the Republican Methodological Center, Republican Center of Information Technology and Communication, representatives of teacher training institutions, pedagogical universities, school directors and teachers, as well as other stakeholders. The aim of the Second National Workshop was the practical implementation of ICT competency standards for teacher professional development and integration of knowledge using ICT in teaching.

During the Workshop, participants were introduced to the national ICT competency standards for teachers and the process of their development and implementation, which was approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan in February 2024. National working groups exchanged experiences in using ICT and developed plans and ICT competency standards integration in education. They identified gaps between the content of existing courses and training programs and ICT competency standards for teachers in Tajikistan. They also reviewed the content of existing courses/training programs and worked on aligning standards with pre-service and in-service curricula. National experts, taking into account teachers' varying levels of ICT proficiency, provided types of training for integration of ICT competency standards. 

Over the four days of the workshop, teams successfully developed strategies for ICT implementation and ICT tools based on approved competency standards. They also shared action plans for further implementation of adopted competency standards and provided training on curriculum development.

As a result of the workshop, national experts and representatives of teacher training institutions with UNESCO international experts developed a clear roadmap for the finalization and implementation of the revised syllabi including key milestones, timelines, and responsibilities. The national seminar and provided materials were highly beneficial and relevant for the participants.