STANDARDIZED TPD AT A GLANCE
Strengths
• One-to-many format facilitates large-scale project
• Introduces a common knowledge base and skills to many participants
• Broadens teachers’ knowledge by providing access to new ideas and strategies
• “Pyramid” training structure facilitates large-scale projects and rapid diffusion across systems
• Can engender new alliances and relationships among participating teachers
• Cost-effective means of distributing discrete sets of knowledge and skills intended to be implemented by all teachers—HIV/ AIDS awareness in schools, gender-equity initiatives in classrooms
Limitations
• Excludes site-based issues
• “One size fits all” approach excludes contextual issues that may pose barriers to implementation in schools
• Unless it is a series of workshops over a long period of time, the one-shot approach of workshops does not address the long-term, developmental nature of learning
• Significant diminish of skills and knowledge in the transfer from champion teacher to colleagues
• Format doesn’t provide follow up or support—essential components for success that require additional cost and capacity
• Evaluation and accountability are difficult—classroom-based results only emerge over time, and are outside the workshop structure
• Training facilities may not match school conditions—champion teachers and teachers may not be able to apply TPD
Cost considerations
• Lower unit costs: cost per teacher trained, and cost per hour of training
• Costs include travel-related expenses for trainer and participants
• Cost-effectiveness should be measured in relation to outcomes
• Budgeting should address follow up and support
• Electronic follow up (via the Internet) cannot work unless all areas of infrastructure are sound
• Allocations must include teacher incentives—especially when champion teachers benefit
financially from additional income or per diem reimbursements