02/13/2026
๐จ๐ปโ๐๐ฉ๐ฝโ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ: What we know, still need to learn, and can do
How do we prepare and support teachers so that every child learns? Here are five things we know, five things we still need to learn more about, and five things we need to do to enable teachers to thrive and students to succeed.
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๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ
โค High-quality initial teacher education sets expectations and bridges theory and practice. Clear, competency-based standards; initial teacher education program content that is closely aligned with the curriculum; and high-quality, mentored school placements can produce graduates who are classroom-ready on day one of their teaching careers.
โค Induction accelerates effectiveness of new teachers. Structured induction with trained mentors and protected time for observation, feedback, and reflection reduces attrition and builds confidence in the first few years.
โค Continuous professional development improves teaching quality when it is practice-based and relevant. Subject-specific, classroom-focused continuous professional development that includes planning, rehearsal, enactment, and follow-up such as coaching leads to measurable shifts in instruction and learning.
โค Leadership is the multiplier. School leaders make teacher learning possible by protecting time, organizing peer collaboration, and building a culture of continuous improvement.
โค Professional recognition fuels motivation. Respect for teachers must translate into recognition, reinforcement, remuneration, and rewards to attract and retain talent.
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๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ
โค Improving at scale. How to deliver high-quality initial teacher education, induction, and continuous professional development at scale within government systems, particularly where resources are low, without diluting quality.
โค Implementation evidence. Which combinations of field placement design, mentoring models, and follow-up to training deliver the best value for money across contexts.
โค Teacher agency and wellbeing. How to embed teacher voice in design and decision-making and protect teacher wellbeing in ways that improve practice and retention.
โค Responsible use of technology and AI. What it takes in terms of infrastructure, training, and safeguards to make tech tools genuinely helpful for teachers and equitable for students.
โค Balancing rigor and relevance. How to uphold standards while supporting instruction in local languages, multi-grade classrooms, and other real-world conditions.
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๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ
โค Strengthen collaboration and partnerships. Build or deepen ties with peers, the โmiddle tierโ (district, regional, or subnational actors), government, and international educator networks to co-develop solutions and share practices.
โค Advocate for change and policy reform. Champion teacher-led transformation and evidence-based approaches with policymakers; push for inclusive teacher training and better support for teachers.
โค Improve and restructure teacher preparation and development. Update or redesign initial teacher education and continuous professional development by integrating new models, co-designing with teachers, and strengthening induction and mentoring.
โค Share and disseminate knowledge internally. Brief colleagues and teams; circulate resources, evidence, and tools from the exchange to extend learning beyond direct participants.
โค Apply specific concepts and tools. Pilot concrete ideas such as responsible use of AI for coaching; integrate new concepts into initial teacher education and CPD; and test practice-based approaches such as โLearning to Teach by Learning to Learn.โ
When teachers are well prepared and continuously supported, more children have the opportunity to master foundational skills and stay in school longer. Those gains compound into healthier lives, higher earnings, and more resilient economies. Investing in effective teacher preparation and development is investing in a nationโs future.
This is why the ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐คโ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฒ, focused on equipping learners with essential foundational skills for work and life, recognizes the central importance of teachers. Preparing and supporting teachers from initial education through induction and ongoing professional learning is essential to ensuring that every child masters foundational skills and builds the higher-order and digital competencies todayโs economies demand.
โ ๐๐บ ๐๐ข๐ถ๐ณ๐ข ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ, ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฐ๐ณ ๐๐ฅ๐ถ๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ต, ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ท๐ช๐ฅ ๐๐ท๐ข๐ฏ๐ด, ๐๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ, ๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ถ๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ญ๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ-๐๐ฆ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐จ๐ณ๐ข๐ฎ, Center for Global Development
