Teacher innovation

Event
  • 16.05.2022

Transforming Education Summit – Call for best practices and innovations on teachers and teaching

The online submission form for the collection of good practices to support the work of the Transforming Education Action Tracks is now available. The deadline for the first round of submissions is 20 May 2022, however subsequent rounds of submissions will be available.

Please submit your best practice here.  Guidelines on how to do it can be consulted here. 

The Transforming Education Summit (TES) in September 2022 provides a unique platform and opportunity to reimagine education for the 21st century and to mobilize greater political ambition, actions, and solidarity towards achieving SDG 4. The TES Thematic Action Tracks, in particular, spotlight areas requiring greater stakeholder attention and actions and can accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda and/or transform education.

While the national consultations workstream supports the development of a shared vision of the futures of education, the good practices collected through the Action Tracks workstream will identify evidence-based examples of successful policy interventions and programmes, including those addressing COVID-19 pandemic-related educational disruption as well as pre-existing educational equalities learning crisis, with a view to drawing lessons learnt and key drivers for transformation. Their value lies in communicating elements of already transformed education landscapes to decision-makers. Practical solutions that work in different contexts will be brought into the spotlight, particularly programming and financing approaches with transformative results for marginalized groups, along with evidence on how these might be taken to scale. It is hoped that such efforts will inspire the reapplication of experiences across countries. 

This form is being used to seek good practices in the area of Teachers, teaching, and the teaching profession, which is the theme of Action Track 2 of the TES. The Action Track will explore the particular issues of teacher shortages, qualifications, and emerging professional development needs, status and working conditions of teachers and education personnel, educational leadership, and innovation.

For more information about the Transorming Education Summit, please see here.

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Event
  • 23.04.2026

4th Africa Teachers Webinar Series: Preparing teachers for AI-enabled classrooms

The Africa Teachers Webinar Series continues with its 12th webinar, part of the fourth set of webinars focused on digital skills and AI, reflecting an ongoing exchange on how to strengthen teaching across the continent.

Organized by UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) with regional and global partners, the series highlights how teachers are adapting to digital transformation and the growing role of AI in education.

Webinar #12: Preparing Pre-service Teachers for AI-Enabled and Digital Classrooms in Africa will take place on:

  • 30 April, 3:00 PM EAT (GMT+3)

The session will explore how teacher education programmes can better equip future teachers with digital and AI-related competencies—supporting them to adapt pedagogy, use technology effectively, and respond to rapidly evolving classroom environments.

👉 Register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/xrSVw4kXRlG0OEjvnEUIJw
 

 

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Event
  • 23.04.2026

4th Africa Teachers Webinar Series: Preparing teachers for AI-enabled classrooms

The Africa Teachers Webinar Series continues with its 12th webinar, part of the fourth set of webinars focused on digital skills and AI, reflecting an ongoing exchange on how to strengthen teaching across the continent.

Organized by UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) with regional and global partners, the series highlights how teachers are adapting to digital transformation and the growing role of AI in education.

Webinar #12: Preparing Pre-service Teachers for AI-Enabled and Digital Classrooms in Africa will take place on:

  • 30 April, 3:00 PM EAT (GMT+3)

The session will explore how teacher education programmes can better equip future teachers with digital and AI-related competencies—supporting them to adapt pedagogy, use technology effectively, and respond to rapidly evolving classroom environments.

👉 Register: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/xrSVw4kXRlG0OEjvnEUIJw
 

 

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Event
  • 23.04.2026

5th Africa Teachers Webinar Series: Supporting teachers to reach vulnerable learners

A new webinar series is bringing together policymakers, practitioners and partners to explore how education systems across Africa can better support vulnerable learners, through stronger teaching and more inclusive classroom practices.

Organized by UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) and co-sponsored by regional and global partners, the Africa Teachers Webinar Series places teachers at the centre of efforts to deliver more inclusive and equitable education.

The fifth set of webinars, Improving Educational Opportunities for Vulnerable Groups, will take place over three sessions:

  • 28 May (3:00 PM EAT) – Disadvantaged girls
  • 18 June (3:00 PM EAT) – Refugees and internally displaced persons
  • 9 July (3:00 PM EAT) – Out-of-school children

Across the series, discussions will highlight how teachers can adapt their practice, respond to diverse learning needs, and play a critical role in reaching those furthest behind, from crisis-affected contexts to learners at risk of exclusion.

By sharing practical approaches and policy insights, the webinars aim to strengthen teacher capacity and support more inclusive classrooms across the region.
 

👉 Register: https://www.iicba.unesco.org/en/webinars-events
 

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Event
  • 23.04.2026

5th Africa Teachers Webinar Series: Supporting teachers to reach vulnerable learners

A new webinar series is bringing together policymakers, practitioners and partners to explore how education systems across Africa can better support vulnerable learners, through stronger teaching and more inclusive classroom practices.

Organized by UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) and co-sponsored by regional and global partners, the Africa Teachers Webinar Series places teachers at the centre of efforts to deliver more inclusive and equitable education.

The fifth set of webinars, Improving Educational Opportunities for Vulnerable Groups, will take place over three sessions:

  • 28 May (3:00 PM EAT) – Disadvantaged girls
  • 18 June (3:00 PM EAT) – Refugees and internally displaced persons
  • 9 July (3:00 PM EAT) – Out-of-school children

Across the series, discussions will highlight how teachers can adapt their practice, respond to diverse learning needs, and play a critical role in reaching those furthest behind, from crisis-affected contexts to learners at risk of exclusion.

By sharing practical approaches and policy insights, the webinars aim to strengthen teacher capacity and support more inclusive classrooms across the region.
 

👉 Register: https://www.iicba.unesco.org/en/webinars-events
 

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Blog
  • 23.04.2026

Low-tech, high impact: training teachers where they are

This blog has been co-authored by Prof. Sarah Younie, CEO, MESHGuides, and April Williamson, Director of Global Projects, Digital Promise, co-leads of the Teacher Task Force Thematic Group on Digital Education and Artificial Intelligence.


Teachers are at the heart of every education system, but in many parts of the world, they lack access to quality training and professional development. According to UNESCO and the Teacher Task Force, an estimated 44 million new teachers will be needed by 2030 to achieve the SDG 4 targets. Addressing this global teacher shortage requires a holistic approach, including training and accreditation systems that build professionalism and effectively support and develop teachers throughout their careers. Yet in many contexts — particularly those affected by crisis, limited infrastructure, and scarce resources — conventional training models fail to reach those who need them most.

The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the urgent need to equip large numbers of teachers with both foundational and 21st-century skills that are critical for lifelong learning and resilient societies. Teachers must be qualified, supported, and motivated — not only to provide quality teaching today, but also to prepare students for inclusive and increasingly digital societies. This is especially urgent in low- and middle-income countries, where scalable, low-cost, and rapidly deployable solutions are needed to meet the need for large-scale, high-quality, and effective training.

In this context, low-tech and mobile approaches — such as messenger-based training — are proving to be both relevant and cost-effective. Designed to function on basic phones with minimal bandwidth, these tools offer flexible, scalable, and accessible learning opportunities that meet teachers where they are. By leveraging tools that are already used by teachers, low-tech solutions can minimize, and even reduce, workload.

A number of members of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 (Teacher Task Force, or TTF) have been at the forefront of implementing such approaches. The TTF Thematic Group on Digital Education and AI, co-led by MeshGuides and Digital Promise, hosted a webinar, “Low-Tech, High Impact: Training Teachers Where They Are”, to highlight perspectives and lessons learned from two of these scalable, mobile-based teacher training solutions: the Future Teacher Kit and ProFuturo.


Mobile-based Teacher Training: Future Teacher Kit 

The Future Teacher Kit (FTK) is a mobile-based training approach tailored to reach teachers in a range of settings, including remote and crisis-affected areas. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) developed the Future Teacher Kit in collaboration with UNESCO and more than 1,500 teachers. The webinar highlighted perspectives on FTK implementation and impact from the Ministry of Education of Ecuador and the Jamaica Teaching Council, as well as GIZ, UNICEF and UNESCO.
 

“We know today that education systems owe teachers – not the other way around.” - Eilean von Lautz-Cauzanet, GIZ


The FTK is an adaptive, scalable professional development solution designed to prepare educators for a rapidly evolving educational landscape by improving access, fostering communities of practice, and supporting education system resilience. It uses low-tech tools with high impact, such as messenger services, to reach teachers in low-connectivity areas. Through ambassador-led, participatory communities of practice, it promotes collaboration, intrinsic motivation, and self-paced learning, while strengthening teacher networks and institutional capacity. 
 

FTK
 Key characteristics of the Future Teacher Kit’s approach to ensuring scalable, accessible, and impactful teacher training.


UNICEF joined the FTK partnership in 2024, contributing its strong expertise in digital teacher development. UNICEF has developed the Superstar Teacher Toolbox, a tool to support educators to use mobile messaging for learning, including two practical guides on digital skills and mobile pedagogy. Its content has been integrated into the FTK, leveraging the UNICEF RapidPro platform for text-based delivery. This partnership is enhancing the FTK’s scalability and pedagogical quality. 
 

“The Future Teacher Kit reignited my love for teaching. It reminded me that I could grow, even in a digital world. It wasn't just training—it was transformation.” - FTK Cohort Participant 


Competency-based Digital Skills Training: ProFuturo 

As a leader in digital teacher training, ProFuturo shared complementary experiences and practical lessons from their work in low-resource contexts. ProFuturo is an education innovation programme based on technology, founded in 2016 by Telefonica Foundation and “La Caixa” Foundation. 

Learning and teaching are two essential processes in today’s society. To address them holistically, ProFuturo has developed the Global Framework for Educational Competence in the Digital Era. This framework supports lifelong learning, especially for teachers, and invites the educational community to reflect on the meaning of learning and teaching in the digital age, and on the teacher’s pivotal role in both. Their teacher training approach is based on an ongoing competence cycle that involves:

  1. Measurement to understand teachers’ competences, through tools like the Self-Assessment of Digital Skills for Teachers.
  2. Training that is continuous, flexible, progressive, and practical, to reduce skills gaps and empower teachers. 
  3. Practice, with access to a broad catalogue of online and offline educational resources for classroom use. 
     
ProFuturo
Key characteristics of ProFuturo’s approach to teacher training.


Through implementing their solutions with 1.8 million teachers in 30 countries, ProFuturo has identified a number of key lessons. Educational change is a cultural and systemic process centered on teachers, making their training essential for improving quality. This focus on teachers ensures high-quality training delivery, while flexibility and preparedness allow effective responses to diverse situations and challenges. 

Recognizing limits and managing expectations, alongside sustaining continuous innovation and strong collaboration, allow organizations like ProFuturo to address the complexity of training teachers across extremely diverse contexts. 
 

“Strategic partnerships enable the sharing of resources and expertise, ensuring that the program is well-supported and aligned with global educational initiatives” - Mila Tonarelli, ProFuturo


Key Takeaways and Next Steps

After the webinar, participants were surveyed to gather perspectives on teacher training strategies and needs in their own contexts. The following common themes emerged: 

  1. Teachers of the future will need to be digitally fluent, adaptable lifelong learners who foster student well-being, communicate effectively, and navigate evolving pedagogical and technological landscapes.
  2. Key teacher training challenges include limited funding and infrastructure; inequitable access to training opportunities, particularly in rural areas; and an overfocus on pre-service training with a lack of ongoing, relevant, and inclusive professional development.
  3. Successful teacher training strategies encompass peer and community-based learning; flexible digital and hybrid formats; hands-on coaching; and practical, learner-centered approaches that promote collaboration and continuous growth. Necessary conditions for effective training partnerships include a shared vision and trust, mutual commitment with aligned goals, and empowered and actively engaged local teams.

Based on the discussion, it’s clear that this is a common priority. There is a need for low-tech and mobile teacher training and ongoing professional development across all education systems. This initial webinar and blog are the start of a series of professional conversations in which the Teacher Task Force members dive deeper into the challenges, solutions, and best practices. 
 

Additional Resources

Future Teacher Kit

ProFuturo


Hero photo credit: BMZ, GIZ, UNESCO, UNICEF.

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Event
  • 21.04.2026

Strengthening teaching practice through evidence: Webinar on pedagogical practices in Latin America and the Caribbean

SUMMA and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, through the KIX LAC Hub and with support from the Global Partnership for Education and Canada’s International Development Research Centre, will host a webinar on Thursday, 30 April as part of a Knowledge Mobilization Cycle on the use of evidence in teacher policies and practices.

The session will focus on classroom teaching and effective pedagogical practices, examining how to strengthen teaching in response to persistent gaps in foundational learning across Latin America and the Caribbean. It will bring together perspectives from ministries of education, teacher education institutions and regional organizations, with practical insights from diverse country contexts.

The webinar is intended for government representatives, academic institutions and education stakeholders working to improve the quality and inclusiveness of education systems.
 

Event details

Date: Thursday, 30 April
Time: 11:00–12:30 (Santiago, Chile, GMT-4)
(Please check your local time)

Register your participation here.

 

Agenda highlights

Opening and welcome

  • Pedro Garret, KIX LAC Hub, SUMMA

Effective practices and innovation for foundational learning

  • Rafael Carrasco, SUMMA

Quality teaching and regenerative education models

  • Rafer Gordon, OECS

Panel: Improving pedagogical practice in challenging contexts

  • Honduras: Applied research for transforming teaching practice
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Teacher education in crisis contexts
  • Guatemala: Pedagogical practice within the National Literacy Strategy

Interactive dialogue and closing remarks
 

This session will contribute to ongoing efforts to connect evidence, policy and practice, supporting teachers to respond to diverse classroom realities and improve learning outcomes.

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