Research project receives UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development for creating impact in the Arab region

TAMAM has been expanding to multiple countries: it covers 70 schools in 9 countries across the region (Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Palestine, and Kuwait).

A project preparing teachers to become leaders of school change and empowering educators to be advocates for social development in the Arab region has won the 2022 UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development. The “TAMAM Project for School-Based Educational Reform” was initiated in the American University of Beirut, and immediately became an educational movement which aims to transform the process of school reform.

TAMAM has directly trained more than 1,000 educational practitioners, in addition to benefiting more than 35000 students targeted by the school improvement projects. Over the past 15 years, more than 100 school based improvement projects have been initiated at the local level in the region.

“Members of this movement share a vision, where schools are connected to their communities, and where teachers are expected and equipped to lead sustainable school-based improvement”, said Dr. Rima Karami, TAMAM project Creative Director and principal investigator.

Participants in the TAMAM project includes teachers, administrators, university faculty, and ministry of education representatives from each of the different participating countries. This is because having key stakeholders with different roles, professional backgrounds and various authority levels who work collaboratively has the potential to transform the educational system. One main outcome of this collaboration are designs and strategies that are grounded in the sociocultural context of the Arab region.

“To empower educators, TAMAM build their expertise, motivate them to enact it and coach them until they experience the impact of their innovative ideas on their school. We also assist them to navigate the systemic barriers and face resistance while implementing their improvement initiatives. We mentor them to develop the belief that change must be initiated at the school level and that teachers must have a voice in deciding the priorities and the agenda of educational reform”, said Rima.

The activities carried out in the schools participating in TAMAM resulted in building the leadership capacity of more than 1000 educators in 70 schools in 9 Arab countries. They were equipped with the necessary competencies and leadership skills to lead sustainable school-based improvement.

“We offer them platforms to network, learn and innovate with educators from other schools. This network constitutes a source of motivation to those educators who typically work in isolation within their classroom. Membership in this network encourages them to enact their agency, support them as they transform their mindset and professional practices, and increase their commitment to lead educational reform”, explained Rima.

The TAMAM models are designed in a way that they can be adapted to the unique needs and contexts of the schools. The project provides teachers an alternative approach that empowers them to initiate and lead change in their schools, build partnerships with key stakeholders, and demand support from policy makers to facilitate the implementation and institutionalization of their innovative initiatives.

“We hope that winning the prize will motivate further the members of the TAMAM professional network as agents of change and will help us attract other educators who might be interested in joining the movement, contribute to its vision, and advocate for educational transformation and change in the Arab region and around the world”, said Rima.

***

Awarded every two years, the UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development rewards outstanding and innovative practices related to teachers so their lessons can be shared and spread. The Prize amounts to US $300,000, which is equally divided between three winners.