Opening date: 20 April 2018
Closing date: 18 May 2018, 5:00 PM EST

Digital Learning for Development (DL4D) and the TPD@Scale Coalition for the Global South invite all individuals and institutions, including for-profit firms, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions, with the capability to undertake research to submit full proposals to conduct a landscape review of teacher professional development at scale (TPD@Scale) models across the Global South and develop a research agenda to inform governments and implementers in the Global South on the uses of information and communication technologies (ICT) to advance equity, quality, and efficiency in teacher professional development.

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have the potential to contribute to inclusive, high-quality, and cost-effective teacher professional development. The term TPD@Scale as used here derives from learning at scale or L@S, referring to large-scale, ICT-mediated learning environments that engage large numbers of learners, remotely and/or face-to-face, with limited expert intervention. The MOOC (massive open online course) is the most well-known variant of L@S, but other forms exist and are emerging: open courseware, intelligent tutoring systems, learning games, and a variety of peer learning networks and collaborative communities. TPD@Scale focuses on teachers as learners and as part of a professional learning community that engages in continuous teacher professional development, from pre-service teacher education to induction to in-service teacher education. Informed by the principles of effective TPD and depending on the particular contexts of the teachers, teacher education institutions, and schools, approaches to TPD@Scale may be “blended,” combining online and offline methods, modalities, resources, and activities when and where appropriate.

The landscape review should provide a comprehensive overview of the state of ICT-mediated teacher professional development on a large scale for primary and secondary education teachers across the Global South. While much is known about the principles of effective teacher professional development, there is significantly less research on models in developing countries that use ICT in some way to apply these principles at scale. The review should also seek to understand the key principles and components of design, development, and deployment of large-scale, ICT-mediated teacher professional development programs in developing country contexts by examining both successful and less successful cases.

The research agenda should be clearly defined and should prioritize research questions relevant and actionable for governments and implementers interested in employing proven TPD@Scale models and techniques. The development of this agenda will draw from the activities of and insights from the landscape review.

This project will be jointly funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom (UKAid), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). These three institutions are members of the Mobiles for Education Alliance and this publication will join the other series of landscape reviews jointly designed by Alliance members.

For details, download the Call documents:

TPD@Scale Landscape Review Call for Proposals

TPD@Scale Landscape Review Appendix A. General Information Form

TPD@Scale Landscape Review Appendix B. Cost Proposal Form

Submit full proposal packets by email to [email protected] on or before 18 May 2018, 5:00 PM EST.