Teachers Education Review and Update of Curricula

1. Initial Teachers Education in
Moldova: State of the art
Roza Dumbraveanu
State Pedagogical University “I.Creangă”
TEREC round table, December 12, 2011

3. Needs for the review
Demands
• European Area Higher Education (Bologna)
• Role of the teachers for the knowledge society
• Quality assurance requirements
Realities
• Quick transition to Bologna demands
• Compatibility of degrees (not assured)
• Student centred approach (declared)
• LO, LOLA (superficially)

4. Identified problems
1.The teacher education curriculum is not
compliant with the student centred approach.
2. The two cycles with classical teaching and
assessment methods do not fit with the
Tuning models for teacher education.
3. The graduates are not prepared enough for
future practical work at schools.
4. The ECTS does not reflect correctly the
student workload.
5. The staff do not use the possibilities offered
by ICT to enhance learning.

5. Objectives of the study
• Identification of the degree of
correspondence of the initial teachers
training programmes to the requirements and
recommendations of European international
(Bologna lines, Tuning project, Western
Universitis practice);
• Compatibility and comparability of study
programmes from different universities of
Moldova;
• Determination of the domains that need
immediate intervention of updating and
modification;
• Outline of the ways of modification of study
programmes

6. Objectives of the study
• To provide a tool useful for the elaboration of study
programmes valid for all HEI;
• To describe the relevance of learning outcomes
based curriculum as a key factor for compatibility
and comparability of national systems of education in
the XXI century;
• To provide a methodological framework in order to
assist the academic staff with a tool for the
elaboration of student centred curriculum (revised on
alignment/LOLA approach).

7. Methodology of the study
• Analysis of the ITE study programmes in
accordance with a set of elaborated criteria;
• Investigation of the employers opinion
(representatives of the preuniversity
education institutions) about the ITE;
• Investigation of the opinions of the
academic staff about the quality of the
graduates – future pedagogs;
• Investigation of the opinions of the
graduates of the pedagogic faculties about
their ITE and their employability.

8. Methodology of the study
Collection, analysis of data about:
• Main characteristics and key success factors related to the
design and implementation of HEI curriculum recognised at
European level;
• The degree of correspondence of ITE curriculum in Moldova to
the practices used and recognized at European level, including
Western partner universities;
• The degree to which teachers' initial training curriculum in
Moldova requires modifications or updating in order to be
comparable to similar curriculum in other European countries,
in the context of harmonization of EU education systems;
• The degree to which teachers' initial training curriculum in
Moldova is correlated to the National Qualifications Framework
(hereafter NQF) and the European Qualifications Framework
(hereinafter EQF);
• Topics related to the different opinions of the actors involved in
ITE.

9. Undertaken activities
• Analysis of resources on European trends in ITE;
• Consultation with experts from the consortium in this
topic;
• Review of legislation and regulations relating to
curriculum development and implementation;
• Development of sets of questionnaires for the three
types of respondents: academics, students /
graduates of pedagogical faculties, employers of
graduates;
• Processing and analysis of the questionnaires ;
• Selection of study programmes to be analyzed;

10. Undertaken activities
• Study of Tuning methodology forthe evaluation of
ITE programs;
• Study of the experience of the western universities in
review of ITE curriculum;
• Establishment of the evaluation criteria grid for the
analysis of the study programs;
• Self-study of the ITE programs according to
established criteria;
• Discussions of the results of self-study of the ITE
programs and their independent evaluation by a
team of project members;
• Presentation of the results at the round table with
representatives of all institutions in the project;
• Development and discussions of recommendations for revision
and modification of ITE.

11. Selected study programmes
State Pedagogical University "I. Creanga"
- Pedagogy of Primary Education (PIP)
- Informatics and Information Technologies in Education
Balti State University "A. Russo"
- Pedagogy of Primary Education and English
- Informatics
State University of Moldova
- Biology
- Civic education
Tiraspol State University
- Pedagogy of Primary Education (PIP)
- Physics

12. Grid topics
Programme/degree profile (description)
Typical occupations
Recruitment system of the student teachers
Model (consecutive or concurent)
Aims of the programme (written in the programme)
Programme structure
Structure of the pedagogical studies
Learning outcomes
Model of the Placement/practice
Dominant teaching methods for the pedagogical disciplines
Support for self-reflection for students
Qualification of Higher Education teacher (pedagogical
preparation/experience) and school practices supervisors
Monitoring system
How ITE Programmes are financed

13. Documents that governed the design of
study programmes
• Classification document for specialties for HEI graduates, (1
cycle?), approved by the Moldovan Parliament in 2005
/Nomenclator
• Framework Plan (cycle 1,2), approved by the Ministry of
Education in 2005, the first version and 2011, second version.
• Rules of organization of higher education studies based on
ECTS, approved by the Ministry of Education (2005 and 2010)
• ECTS guide
• Assessment regulations
• NQF (elaborated 2008, approved 2010, currently under
revision)

14. The key document for the design of study
programmes : NQF
Some Considerations
• No guidelines for elaboration
• Quality – different for different domains
• General impression: mix of eclectic conceptions,
misunderstandings
• Definition of competences - not appropriate
• LO – no difference from competences
• No difference between BCs and Ms LO/ Dublin descriptors not
understood
• Constructive alignment / formal
Conclusion: NQF can not be used in currently shape;
Should be rewritten

15. The key document for the design of study
programmes : Framework plan
Some Considerations
• The second version did not take into account the critical
interventions and recommendations
• There are mistakes contrary to european documents, even the
declaration is that the FP is in line with EU documents
• Misunderstanding and misinterpretation of general
competences
• Socioumanistic component for each study programme
Conclusion: FP puts some obstacles to the design of the study
programmes;

16. The key documents for the design of study
programmes
Regulations (Ministry of Education)
• The pedagogic component - minimum 60 ECTS
• First cycle : 180 – 240 ECTS
• Second cycle: 90 – 120 ECTS
• Non pedagogic graduates – additional module
pedagogic component of 60 ECTS
• Pedagogic component: pedagogy, psychology,
didactics, practice
Details: another presentation;

17. General remarks/profile
Weak points
• Definition of the profile (objectives are vag or too general)
• Connection with employers is weak or missing in defining the
profile
• Employers do not know the details of the srudy programmes
• Due to shortage in the staff, the secondary education accepts
graduates of the first cycle
• The competences of the BCs are not sufficient to assure the
quality in education
• Typical occupations (8-10 for BCs) do not correspond to the
graduates competences
• No differrences between BCs and MCs in
occupations/positions

18. General remarks/admission
• Admission to first cycle is based on secondary
school graduation acts or equivalent or higher
depending on the marks obtained from previous
graduation exams (without entrance examinations).
• Admission to the second cycle is done based on
exams. (comments?)
• No competition for the first cycle
• Low number of candidates for the second cycle

19. General remarks/responsibility
• Responsible for developing and carrying out
the program of studies are usually heads of
departments in the field: (Department of applied
informatics and information technologies (USB), Department of
Computer and information technologies in education (UPSC),
the departments of primary education pedagogy (USB, UPSC,
UST) )
• and / or deans.
• There is no a program director responsible
for ITE like in Western universities...

20. General remarks/staff
• Academics involved in teacher training should have the
doctor degree
• Initial entry requirements to HE staff position: Msc degree
+ pedagogic component of at least 60 ECTS (no
specification about HE pedagogy).
• These conditions are not always fulfiled.
• Pedagogic component of 60 ECTS in fact related to the
preuniversity system, while higher system differs from the
pedagogy of the preuniversity system.
• Although this is understood by some departments of
pedagogy and policy makers, the statement about the
teacher training is not made explicit and there are no
special programs developed / promoted for HE pedagogy.

21. Distribution of hours
Informatics, USB, 180 ECTS
• 7 core, 7 special disciplines required,
• 23 optional subjects,
• 6 compulsory and optional subjects in socio human
• 2 general culture subjects
• Total: 2625 contact hours, 2775 individual work
• Fundamental disciplines – 26%
• Compulsory subject area – 17%
• Optional subject area – 24%
• Sociouman – 11%
• General culture – 4,4%
• Placement – 16.7%

22. General remarks/LOs
LOs reference points for Comparability and compatibility, QA
According to Bologna, curricula should include the following key elements:
• Program-level LOs with reference to the descriptors in the NQF
or EQF;
•
Course LOs corelated to programme LOs;
• Teaching methodologies used should reflect the program /
courses LOs
• Assessment methods used must allow students to demonstrate
achievements of LOs;
• Modules / courses and programs must be fully expressed in ECTS
in accordance with the range and level from NQF;

23. General remarks/Programme
descriptions
The study programs analyzed from four universities in Moldova
represents a variety of structures, but none match the
requirements of Bologna.
USM
Introduction.
• Administration of discipline.
• General objectives.
• Contents and strategies.
• Individual work. Independent academic
learning.
• Bibliography

24. General remarks/Programme
descriptions
USB
• Course administration
• Pre-requisites
• Course/discipline objectives
• Short topics description (content and the
number of hours)
• More detailed list of topics and assignments
references each theme
• Final evaluation questionnaire

25. General remarks/Objectives;LOs
• Too many (12 or even 24)
• Vague
• Difficult to find TLA correlation
• Rate contact hours: individual work
• 1:2 – 1:4
• No evidence for learning task assessment

26. Conclusions
• In some disciplines aims are vague or inadequate, in the spirit of
"pedagogical objectives."
• LOs progress and coherence has not been determined in the
curricula.
• No delimitation between objectives, LOs, competences.
• Program level competences are defined in NQF, but then do not
appear in other documents. NQF is not made public for large
target groups. In the UPSC student guides are included
competences, but they are not different from those from NQF
their classification is different from the NQF. Moreover
formulation of competences leave much to be desired in style,
grammar and logical correctness.
• The NQF refers to Tuning Project, t.e. it is stated that these skills
are in line with Tuning methodology. There is confusion in the
veracity of these claims, because the methodology was not
applied correctly, Tuning was not deeply understood.

27. Conclusions
• A mechanism for determining student workload it is
not developed and no mechanism to review the
allocation of the number of credits. Individual work of
students, in many cases, is not designed and
evaluated. The ratio of contact hours and individual
work of students vary starting and ending with 1:4 1:1.
• It is difficult to compatibilize courses of similar
qualifications from different universities.
• Only in a small number of subjects in the curriculum
are specified TLA strategies. In these circumstances it
is difficult make a judjement about constructive
alignment, and therefore about student-centered
learning.

28. Conclusions
• The pedagogical component called psycho-
pedagogical module (concept does not exist
in english literature) is 60 ECTS and is
delivered according to the concurent.
• Conclusions about LO, TLA refer equally to
this component, although officials from these
departments should set the tone in the correct
implementation of these concepts.
• This component is realized in different ways at
different universities. Some names are the
same or similar courses, but the description
and the contents are different.

29. Conclusions
• Academic staff, including the decision makers
know superficially the international provisions,
projects and practices, one of the reason is
probably lack of English skills.
• There is some translation of documents, but
not sufficient, and sometimes inaccurate,
interpretation of the terms leads to loss of
meaning. Much better is to read original
sources, updated and accessible on the
Internet.

30. Conclusions
• As consequence, there is confusion and
eclecticism of concepts, including their formal
and incoherent application (eg Dublin
descriptors, skills, LOs , student workload,
etc.).
• Students placements in schools, in most
cases, are in the city and some students carry
out practice in home schools. Mentors are
trained at a rate of about 50% among
experienced teachers teaching in higher
education.

31. Conclusions
• Usually mentors from specialized departments that have special
training for supervision, and those from the departments of
pedagogy are overloaded and little time are given to monitor
practice.
• Supervisors are sometimes young teachers who have little
experience. Scholars, known as Methodists remain included in
the schedule faculty to teach subjects they are responsible.
• As a result, consulting / management / monitoring of the practice
is episodic.
• Another drawback lies in the lack of experienced school for
teachers to guide students practice, in particular, to evaluate
them. School teachers, evaluate the results of practice with very
high grades. Because the mark given for professional practice
school teacher is defining, in general practice notes are high.

32. Recommendations
• It is necessary to use and promote the same
terminology to describe curricula in accordance with
the correct and consistent interpretation of terms in
English literature. National character and university
autonomy, to which often refers, has nothing to do in
this regard .
• It is necessary to unify the structure of the study
programmes according to Bologna requirements. The
project team must propose a template based on
existing practices.
• It is neccesary to develop training courses for
academics in the use of Tuning methodology (LOs,
Dublin descriptors, EQF, NQF student-centered
learning) on higher education pedagogy.
• The NQF should be rewritten.

33. Recommendations
• It is necessary to define profiles for each
study program involving policy makers and
representatives of the labour market.
• It is necessary to develop a minimum set of
skills for teaching profiles and their inclusion
in the curricula of all universities.
• It is necessary to define the LOs education for
each program of study and teaching
component.
• It is necessary a review and update of
curricula in accordance with unified structure
proposed in the project.

34. Recommendations
• It is necessary to implement de facto student
centered learning in selected study programs
and to disseminate the good practices in this
regard.
• As a collateral result the project team can
develop recommendations on the definition
and implementation of the minimum
qualifications for teacher employment
positions at different stages of school
education.
• The conclusions and recommendations can
be extrapolated to other study programs at
pedagogical faculties and beyond.