Systems Thinking Applied to Jordan's Senior Teacher Role
Case Study
Systems Thinking Applied to Jordan's Senior Teacher Role
Jordan’s Ministry of Education (MoE) established the Senior Teacher role as part of reforms in education to raise standards of instruction, foster peer support, move to school based- coaching, and professionalize career paths. Inspired by educations experts, the MoE took a systems-thinking approach since it was clear that adding a new position inside a complicated system calls for cooperation among several levels and players.
Important Systems Thinking Components:
- Integration of Career Pathways: The role was integrated within well-known teacher career ranks, guaranteeing open advancement and consistent drive.
- School- based Coaching: Senior teachers were assigned to support teacher assessment, mentorship, and application of instructional standards—ensuring policy coherence with MoE plans to move into decentralized training and coaching.
- School-Level Culture and Leadership: Principals were involved in setting Senior Teachers as peer mentors instead of assessors, therefore fostering teamwork and maintaining confidence.
- Feedback and Adaptation: Schools set up feedback loops to track issues including workload and role clarity. This enabled responsive implementation changes.
Impact and Insight:
The program has started to change perceptions of teaching as a career and promoted more cooperative school environments. The systems thinking and looking at school as an ecosystem contributed to raise the relevance, efficiency, and long-term sustainability of the program.