The Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR (MoES), with support from Australia, has introduced a new teacher development video on how to use ‘co-teaching’ to encourage teachers to learn from each other and be exposed to new classroom practices. Co-teaching is a continuing professional development activity in which two teachers, or one teacher and a pedagogical support person work together to plan, deliver, and reflect on a lesson. The aim of co-teaching is for teachers to support each other and learn new classroom activities and approaches from one another. It is an excellent way for experienced teachers to share their knowledge and skills and give “on-the-job” support to their colleagues. It encourages creativity, deepens professional friendships, and builds community among teachers.

The Co-teaching video was produced by the E-learning materials and distant education section of the Research Institute for Educational Sciences (RIES) with support from six lecturers from Savannakhet, Khang Khai and Luang Namtha Teacher Training Colleges and technical staff from the Department of Teacher Education.

Dr Anoulom Vilayphone, Director General, RIES said, “Teachers in Lao PDR are often working in difficult and remote conditions. Adopting new approaches to teaching as required to successfully teach the new revised primary curriculum can be challenging without support. The aim of the Teacher Development Videos is to provide primary teachers with guidance and real examples of how they can use the new pedagogical approaches, improve their teaching skills, and solve teaching challenges.”

Ms Vanessa Hegarty, First Secretary, Australian Embassy said, “Australia’s dedication to Lao PDR’s education extends to empowering teachers with new teaching methodologies under the revised primary curriculum. This commitment aims to enhance teachers’ abilities to bring the curriculum to life through practical, collaborative, and engaging learning experiences, ensuring teachers have the confidence and skills for effective curriculum delivery, supported by continuous professional development tailored to local needs. This collaboration with RIES, through the BEQUAL program, to produce more teacher development videos is part of our strategy to support teachers’ self-learning and professional development.”