The role of teacher professional development in Uzbekistan

The recent International Education Forum in Uzbekistan emphasised the importance of developing high-quality teaching to drive education transformation. Following the forum, Cambridge spoke to the Director of the Agency for Presidential Educational Institutions of the Republic of Uzbekistan (PIIMA), Hilola Umarova, to explore the role and potential of teacher professional development for the future of education in the country. 

Director Hilola Umarova has led PIIMA, which manages a programme of government schools that open opportunities for high-performing young people in Uzbekistan, since 2020. She was previously Director of the al-Khwarizmi Specialised School of ICT and General Manager of Inha University, both in Tashkent.
 

What role does teacher professional development play in realising the national vision for Uzbekistan and current and planned educational reforms?

Learning is a never-ending process. I believe that it shouldn’t stop after earning a degree and starting a career. Career-minded individuals, especially a country’s educators, can constantly improve their skills and become more proficient at their jobs. Our long-term vision is to make a positive social change in people’s lives and contribute to the development of Uzbekistan by preparing “global citizens” who will help us to build a strong and prosperous nation. Currently, many educational reforms are taking place in Uzbekistan to improve the quality of education and transition from a teacher-centred learning approach to a student-centred one by providing our students with knowledge and practical skills which will help them to succeed in their lives after education. This can be achieved only through helping all teachers across the country to improve their professional skills and personal growth. I understand that a successful economy has a workforce capable of operating industries at a level where it holds a competitive advantage over the economies of other countries.  In order to prepare a well-rounded workforce with 21st century skills, we have to provide them the best education and resources. By providing continuous professional development opportunities for our teachers, we will be able to establish the building blocks for our future vision. 

What are your key priorities for teacher professional development at the Presidential, Creative and Specialised Schools? Why are those your priorities?

In the field of the Presidential, Creative and Specialized Schools education administration, it is particularly important for school administrators to encourage teachers to pursue professional development, not only to ensure the best learning outcomes for their students but also to be more effective and satisfied in various other aspects of their work. The new curriculum and educational approach help teachers with their professional development and acquiring of  new teaching skills. One of the objectives of the strategy will be to create more hands-on and real-life based activities for students. When students get an opportunity to learn in a more student-centred environment and complete real-life based projects, they will be able to relate more to the content of a lesson. This will help increase students’ intrinsic motivation to learn and achieve better outcomes from their studies which will help them succeed in their post-secondary lives. Each student will receive  support and resources to help them with his or her academic success. Also, teachers will benefit from new professional development opportunities and knowledge sharing which can help with personal growth. Greater opportunities will be created for relationship building among students, parents and school staff, as well as leaders to build over a longer period of time. A strong professional community encourages collective endeavour rather than isolated individual efforts. This way members and staff feel empowered and supported so the quality of the education can be improved. Our schools support collaborative work to achieve a common purpose. The collaboration will help to establish a collective creativity, where teachers can plan and design strategies which will fit well with the needs of their students and members of learning communities. Our school, one family is our motto. 

What does the new Professional Development Qualifications centre you are currently developing mean for teachers and schools in Uzbekistan?

Establishing the Professional Development Qualification centre will help us to create a continuous professional development scheme framework for our teachers. All teachers under the Agency, as well as other educators across Uzbekistan at later stages, will have an opportunity to receive support towards their professional growth. By providing teachers with high-quality and regular training, we can improve and maintain quality standards. It will also help our staff to become more adaptable, allowing them to switch to new curriculum, teaching methods and pedagogy more easily. We also understand that having continuous professional development will assist us with staff retention and career progression. Our goal is to create a positive and safe learning environment not only for our students but for all members of our professional learning community. Capacity building for local staff will allow us to create a teacher community united by feelings of belonging to the school. This way we can make the reforms more sustainable. 

Thinking about current and planned reforms for teacher professional development, what impact do you expect? 

Teaching is a career where we can constantly learn something new each day and professionally grow. It is a career which helps us to understand the true values of knowledge. Therefore, I understand the essential need for training as part of teachers’ personal development and to gain necessary knowledge to create a safe and positive learning environment for their students. Professional development requires changes, and in a professional learning community changing through learning needs extra effort from members. Not so long ago, teachers could expect that what they taught would equip their students with the skills needed for the rest of their lives. Today, teachers need to prepare students for more rapid economic and social change than ever before, for jobs that have not yet been created, to use technologies that have not yet been invented, and to solve social problems that haven’t been raised before. Professional development for educators is necessary to improve the quality of education and achieve our main objectives to prepare “global citizens” who will be able to compete in international job market. 

How has partnership played a role in current and planned educational reforms in Uzbekistan?

When we established our Agency and opened the Presidential Schools, we wanted to make sure to choose the best rigorous curriculum according to the international standards for our gifted students. Among many other proposals for cooperation, we opted for the Cambridge curriculum because it suited the needs of our students and matched well with our vision. In order to prepare future leaders with patriotic values, we are working closely with Cambridge on a hybrid approach, which includes studying the Cambridge programme alongside Uzbek subjects.  Since all core subjects are delivered in English, our students have an opportunity to improve their English level and acquire knowledge as well as skills needed to become competent future leaders in various job spheres. Our partnership has helped us to get access to additional resources and deliver the best educational opportunities for our gifted students. 
 

Photos courtesy of the Agency for Presidential Educational Institutions of the Republic of Uzbekistan (PIIMA). Photographer: Bakhodirou Miryokub