Policy Relevant Evidence for Teacher Professional Development and Wellbeing: Six Research Projects Selected in the Regional Teachers Initiative for Africa

Following its call for research proposals launched in October 2024, the Facility of the Regional Teachers Initiative for Africa has now selected six research projects for funding. The selected projects focus on supporting teacher professional development and teacher wellbeing through providing evidence-based solutions.

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In October 2024, the Facility of the Regional Teachers Initiative for Africa (RTIA) announced a call for research proposals. The objective of the call was to bring together consortia of higher education institutions and research centres from Europe and Africa to support the collaborative production of research-based knowledge on teacher professional development, teacher wellbeing and teacher governance in Sub-Saharan Africa. In total, 94 research proposals were submitted for the call.

Following the call for proposals, the RTIA Facility has now selected six research projects for funding. The research grants range between EUR 400,000 and EUR 800,000. The implementation period for the projects starts in May 2025 and lasts for 18 months. 

The selected research projects will contribute to the RTIA objectives by producing research-based knowledge to support teacher education and professional development of teachers across Sub-Saharan Africa by focusing on two main themes: 1) Teacher wellbeing at work and teacher retention, shortage, and attrition and 2) Teacher professional development. 

Selected research projects in the RTIA research call  

Supporting Teacher Education, Wellbeing, and Retention via Informing Feasible Educational Policies and Incentives in Africa​

•  Partners: Häme University of Applied Sciences (Finland), University of Nairobi (Kenya); Egerton University (Kenya); University of Juba (South Sudan); Dar es Salaam University College Education (Tanzania); Mkwawa University College of Education (Tanzania)

 The Drivers of Teacher Wellbeing and Retention in Contexts of Protracted Violence and Displacement​ 

• Partners: Institute of Development Studies (UK), Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de Bukavu (DRC),The Secretariat for Support and Coordination of The Education Sector, SPACE (DRC); Luigi Giussani Foundation (Uganda), Oxfam Novib (Uganda), Oxfam Denmark (Denmark) 

Teacher Professional Development at Scale: Leveraging Teachers’ Perspectives for Success​ 

• Partners: HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation (Switzerland), University of Bern (Switzerland), Ruaha Catholic University (Tanzania), University of Zambia (Zambia)​

 Investigating the outcomes of professional development linked to the Mental Starters Learner Workbooks for Early Number Learning at pre- and in-service teacher education levels 

• Partners: Dublin City University (Ireland), Rhodes University (South Africa), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (Nigeria)

​ Implementation of Professional Learning Communities in selected African Countries: Implications for Policy and Practice 

• Partners: South African Institute for Distance Education, SAIDE (South Africa), Institute of Education, University College London (UK); University of Education, Winneba (Ghana); Botswana Open University (Botswana) ​ 

Strengthening Primary School Teacher Professional Development in Tanzania: Generating Evidence for Policy and Practice​

•  Partners: University of Dodoma (Tanzania), University of Graz, Institute for Education Research and Teacher Education (Austria), Arusha Technical College (Tanzania)