ADEC partners with UAEU to offer foundation year skills and techniques that will elevate university performance for students
The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) in partnership with the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), has organised a four week professional development training and orientation session for 587 Grade 12 teachers in three subjects: Arabic, Mathematics and English.
During the intensive training, teachers will be provided with content, topics, skills, objectives and outcomes that are covered in the foundation program, while aligning it with the current Grade 12 curriculum.
The move is expected to further raise foundation placement exam (EMSAT) rates for ADEC students.
His Excellency Dr. Ali Al Nuaimi, ADEC’s Director General stressed: “ADEC has implemented a number of programs to support Grade 12 students, and facilitate their needs before moving onto the next level in their education. One amongst many initiatives ADEC has implemented includes raising the par for placement examination results, since most universities around the world require their newly admitted students to undergo placement examinations. Additionally, UAE state universities require students to take placement examinations in Arabic, English and Mathematics, ensuring students are instantly fitted into desired university majors without the need to undergo a foundation program.”
In order to fully support the new initiative, an initial rigorous training, orientation, and brain storming session was conducted with ADEC’s Academic Quality Improvement Officers (AQIOs), who are expected to play a major role in assisting the trainees from UAEU, while gaining the training methodology in order to form a “train the trainer” team. They will be expected to train absent or new teachers in the future, as well as play a pivotal role in enforcing the implementation of the project objectives’ through monitoring the execution of the plan with the UAEU team and providing monthly reports in order to ensure program efficiency and delivery across all Grade 12 classrooms.
To further support students, teachers and AQIO’s will undergo themselves the placement examinations in Arabic, Mathematics and English EMSAT exam, where they will gain a better understanding in areas of focus and skills required in order to further enhance results amongst Grade 12 students.
Dr. Al Nuaimi explained that Grade 12 teachers will be offered the same rigorous bridging training regardless of their knowledge of the subject. “Our teachers play a pivotal role in ensuring future success and motivation for Grade 12 students through transferring an important element of student success. This integration process between ADEC’s curriculum and the foundation program will help bridge the gap between school and university for our Grade 12 students.”
His Excellency further added that the teacher’s professional development training is suited for all specialized teachers in Grade 12, adding an informative and fun-loving approach to teaching in par with teaching at a university level.
“We are confident that this aligned process of teaching will have a positive impact in learning and teaching for Grade 12 students and will eventually eradicate the need to have a foundation year between school and university. The whole point is to leverage student skills and capabilities while supporting them as best as we can to overcome the foundation year requirements before entering university and moving on with their undergraduate years,” concluded ADEC’s Director General.
– ADEC Media
