Working Group Co-Chair, Terms of Reference
The Teacher Motivation Working Group is seeking applications to fill a Co-Chair leadership position starting in August 2018. Interested applicants should contact and submit CV and cover letter to Co-Chair Emily Richardson, erichardson@savechildren.org
Background:
The Teacher Motivation Working Group (TMWG) is comprised of individuals across various sectors interested in advancing the understanding of teacher motivation in order to uncover the factors (both intrinsic and extrinsic) that have an impact on teachers providing quality instruction as a channel for improving student learning outcomes.
The TMWG was conceived of during a workshop that was held at the annual 2013 Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) conference in New Orleans. During this conference, workshop organizers from Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee, the Center for International Education at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and New York University presented their work and literature on teacher motivation issues in developing and emergency education contexts. TMWG membership has grown to include interested individuals from FHI 360, Education Development Center, Chemonics, UNESCO, Asia Advisory, GPE, UNHCR, Childfund, RTI, INEE, USAID, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Columbia Teachers College, and Stanford University, and many other organizations and institutes. The TMWG has officially partnered with UNESCO’s International Task Force on Teachers for Education for All.
The Teacher Motivation Working Group (TMWG) focuses on teachers and the teaching environment to achieve the following goals:
- Understand teacher motivation and well-being—what it is, why it is important, and how it affects teachers’ desire and ability to provide quality instruction in low-income contexts;
- Contribute to the global knowledge base on teacher motivation and well-being, and elevate teacher voices in the process of producing that knowledge; and
- Serve as a research hub and knowledge dissemination platform for a wide range of stakeholders including policymakers, practitioners, and researchers.
We use the following strategies to achieve our goals:
- Consolidate research and evaluation studies on teacher motivation and well-being;
- Develop and openly share tools, resources, and formal learning experiences that help us better understand and measure teacher motivation and well-being; and
- Build a community of stakeholders invested in advancing policy and practice that is informed by teacher motivation and well-being research.
Role and Responsibilities
- Co-lead the Teacher Motivation Working Group, collaborating with a leadership team of 5-7 working group members representing a variety of international institutions.
- Co-host monthly working group conference calls to manage regular business and advance the mission of the working group.
- Co-lead the strategic planning process to update the overall vision of the working group and provide leadership in working towards the achievement of all identified goals.
- Supervise the work of any interns hired by the working group.
- Research grants and related funding opportunities for which the TMWG may be eligible to amplify the impact of the working group.
- Network with leading individuals and institutions in the field to support teacher motivation research through a variety of strategies, including webinars, conferences, co-hosted events, etc.
- Lead proposal development and submission for the working group’s participation in the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) annual conference (pre-conference workshop and other sessions, as applicable). Attend and present at the conference with working group members.
- Stay up to date on teacher motivation research and share with the working group and its membership (e.g. research articles, papers, blog posts, and other media).
Qualifications
- Advanced degree in relevant field with expertise in research and practice related to teacher motivation.
- Prior team leadership experience through professional or volunteer channels.
- Preferred prior experience as a K-12 teacher or working with K-12 teachers in low-income contexts (developing countries preferred).
- Excellent communication and writing skills.
- Strategic vision and ability to organize team members around the achievement of shared goals.
Applicants should be available to commit for a term of two years. This is a volunteer leadership position and is not compensated.