Pakistan

PTEPDP Overview

The University of Montana recently completed the third portion of a $649,000 USAID grant entitled "Pakistan Teacher Education and Professional Development Program," (PTEPDP) from the Academy for Educational Development (AED). PTEPDP will bring as many as 200 Pakistani teachers to Missoula over three years. The goal of the project is for Pakistani educators to learn about contemporary issues in education and to update their knowledge and teaching skills in mathematics, science, and English as a second language. PTEPDP will provide the knowledge, training, and infrastructure necessary to help officials and citizens develop high quality education programs for teachers throughout Pakistan . Additionally, the project has been designed to promote cultural understanding between the U.S. and Pakistan . This initiative is being organized by the International Programs, under the direction of Professor Mehrdad Kia, in collaboration with the Department of Mathematics, Department of Chemistry, and the English Language Institute. Expected outcomes are:

• PTEPDP participants will learn new teaching methods.
• PTEPDP participants will learn to incorporate new techniques, and utilize educational technology in developing and applying these new teaching methods.
• PTEPDP will provide an alternative to the traditional Pakistani education system where the teacher acts as a lecturer and the students as passive recipients of lecturers. Participants will be shown that students themselves can become active participants and learners in the field of science, math, and English as a Second Language while enjoying the process. We will show this can be done with minimal lecturing from the teacher.
• Enhanced cultural understanding between the U.S. and Pakistan