The COVID-19 pandemic caused profound changes to the global educational system. It required educational institutions to shift rapidly to distance and online learning. This forced teachers to quickly redesign their pedagogical models, requiring significant professional development support. This disruption affected official curricula as well as other vital capabilities, including life skills.
This sparked a collaboration in 2020 between the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (MoECRT) to respond to the emerging need for digital training for middle school teachers during the outbreak. In December 2020, UNICEF and MoECRT launched an online, blended training on life-skills education (LSE) using the Government of Indonesia’s Guru Belajar dan Berbagi (GBB: Teachers Learn and Share) or the LSE-GBB.
In 2021, Tulodo was commissioned by UNICEF to assess the implementation of teacher training on the LSE-GBB. The assessment aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the LSE-GBB digital learning platform and document evidence of progress six months into its implementation. Additionally, Tulodo analyzed the GBB-LSE system from an ICT perspective to develop recommendations for improvement of access to GBB-LSE, especially for teachers in difficult areas and those with limited digital skills.
The LSE-GBB training consisted of three stages: first were the self-paced (asynchronous) e-learning modules; second was coaching clinics, organized through a synchronized method and facilitated by master trainers; and the third was socialization, where teachers disseminated their knowledge to teachers at their schools and teaching communities, including through social media.
The e-learning modules were valued at 22 training hours and the coaching clinics at 10 hours. Teachers could use the hours as part of their professional accreditation, socialization was based on voluntary participation, which was neither monitored nor credited with training hours. The first training stage was organized by MoECRT, while UNICEF assisted with the coaching clinics. UNICEF and MoECRT ran e-learning modules and coaching activities between December 2020 until September 2021. The training attracted 14,017 participants (62.58% female participants) from 34 provinces and 486 districts/municipalities in Indonesia.
The LSE-GBB was an innovative effort to introduce and expand teachers’ access to LSE knowledge. After the 10-month implementation, the LSE-GBB training introduced teachers to LSE and was successful, but poor internet and limited devices hindered participation. Students value LSE, but more behavior and skills evaluation is needed. The report recommends policy reform for sustainable LSE integration, promoting blended learning, and engaging schools and local governments. It also suggests refining online training, improving accessibility, and developing digital training for areas with weaker reception. Measuring the results and effectiveness of the interventions was essential, considering the potential for using emerging digital technologies for a vast country like Indonesia to support improving the quality of education.
Experts
- Yulida Pangastuti (Team Lead)
- Maman Saputra (Project Manager)
- Baginda Muda Bangsa (Project Officer)
- Muhammad Zamzam Fauzanafi (Video Ethnographer)