The Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR, with support from Australia through the Basic Education Quality and Access in Lao PDR (BEQUAL) program, has produced two new teacher development videos on classroom management and Lao language teaching techniques for non-Lao speaking students. The videos were produced by the Research Institute of Educational Sciences (RIES) and are fully aligned with resources developed by the Department of Teacher Education (DTE) to support teachers’ continuing professional development.

Associate Professor Dr Anoulom Vilayphone, Director General of RIES, said “Teachers in Lao PDR are often working in difficult and remote conditions.  They face many challenges such as students not speaking Lao when they start school, over-crowded classes, and multigrade classes. Since 2019, RIES, with support from Australia, has been producing a variety of videos to provide teachers with guidance and demonstrations of effective teaching practices responding to their most common challenges. The two latest videos were filmed in remote classrooms in Kham district, Xiangkhouang province and in Xaythani district, Vientiane Capital to show real examples of the techniques in practice. The videos are also dubbed in Sign Language to be more accessible for all teachers.”

Teacher Development Video topics are selected to respond to the key challenges faced by teachers, based on feedback from teachers themselves. Teachers can use the videos to prepare lessons, improve their teaching methods, and learn or review specific techniques from the new curriculum Teacher Guides. Pedagogical support staff based at district and school levels can also use these videos when supporting teachers.

Ms Vanessa Hegarty, First Secretary, Australian Embassy, said “Australia and the Ministry of Education and Sports are working together to ensure teachers are well-equipped with resources and supported to apply new teaching techniques. Australia strongly believes that with the current teacher shortage situation, it is important that teachers feel heard, understood, and most importantly supported. This is key to addressing the challenges they face when teaching, especially in remote areas. We want to keep teachers motivated and empowered so they remain committed to their vital roles teaching the future generation of leaders and thinkers. Australia supports continuous professional development for teachers so they can improve the quality of their teaching.”

The topic of Teacher Development Video number 24 is ‘Classroom Management’. Classroom management is a key strategy to ensure students can work independently and be actively engaged in learning. This is essential in Lao PDR where over a third of primary classes are multigrade. Classroom management skills are also needed to effectively teach the student-centred pedagogical approach of the new curriculum, which incorporates more games, hands-on activities and pair and group work. Good classroom management not only makes teachers’ lives easier but can also have a positive impact on students’ academic engagement and learning outcomes. Good classroom management creates an environment that stimulates learning. The video unpacks six classroom management strategies that can be easily applied by teachers across all primary grades and subjects.