Piloting innovative teaching through implementation of 21st Century Student Learning Outcomes

Innovative teaching based on Student Learning Outcomes for Literacy is methodically being introduced to key professionals from Pedagogical Institute, University, public preschool institutions/kindergartens and primary schools in Zenica Doboj Canton (ZDC) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B-H). Namely, group of 50 education professionals from ZDC are currently participating in a third five-day workshop entitled "Implementing 21st Century Student Learning Outcomes".

Defining Student Learning Outcomes at the state level, implemented throughout 2012/March 2013 by B-H Agency for Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education and with support of Save the Children in North West Balkans who was continuously involved in the process, was one of the greatest successes in B-H education system. Yet, its existence does not bring any improvements to teachers and students if its implementation is not ensured. Implementation of this pilot project allows education professionals in ZDC to evaluate their work through application of the student learning outcomes for literacy. 

The first workshop was held in June 2013, the fourth and last will be held in December this year, and for the following two years, these 50 professionals will transfer their knowledge to some 1 200 more education professionals working in preschool and primary education level. Save the Children in North West Balkans implements this project in partnership with Ministry of education and Pedagogic Institute of Zenica-Doboj Canton with goal to improve quality of the teaching and ensure better student achievements.

Strong support from Ministry of Education of Zenica-Doboj Canton gives the best guarantees for the project success. Minister of Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Mirko Trifunovic says this project allows a great step forward with regard to future education challenges and evaluation of the quality of work. "With this project, we strive to set our work with children in a new, modern way and allow children to acquire knowledge and to know exactly, after a child completes primary education, what knowledge and skills he or she possess and what is behind his or hers grades," stated Minister Trifunovic.  

"With clearly defined student learning outcomes, it is easier to select tasks for assessment of knowledge at different levels, which results in better student achievements because it is clear to them what is expected and they understand the purpose of suggested or expected activities. The purpose of clearly defined student learning outcomes is to ensure that all participants in education process knows what is the final goal for students, which ensures higher objectivity in knowledge assessment," explained Pedagogic Institute Director Munevera Selmanovic.

These workshops also represent the opportunity for different groups of education professionals – teachers and advisors from the Pedagogic Institute – to work together on improvement of education programs that are applied in schools and kindergartens.

"Through implementation of student learning outcomes, I believe that we will successfully revise existing teaching plans and programs, align them with set achievement standards, and improve our students' results at all future testing," stressed Fehim Terzic, Advisor at the Pedagogic Institute and long-time teacher in ZDC. 

Another participant, Bosnian language and literature teacher from Zenica, Mineta Causevic, stressed importance of direction and focus all participants get at the workshop. "We applied numerous things in education process, through all grades, but we didn't know exactly what to do, what to insist on, what to practice on. Here we made that line and at any moment we can see and know what we want, and at the end we can see whether we have achieved it."

Save the Children in North West Balkans will actively support education professionals from Zenica-Doboj Canton in the forthcoming period in implementation of student learning outcomes for Literacy. "Activities within this pilot project will allow us to go from theory to practice and to ensure practical application of student learning outcomes in pre-school and primary school education aimed at improvement of education programs quality for students in Zenica Doboj Canton, and later in whole Bosnia and Herzegovina," stated Save the Children in North West Balkan Director, Andrea Zeravcic.