Preparing Girls and Women for 21st Century Success: Intel® Teach Findings

"Technologies are not only critical components in today’s workforce, but also can complement and accelerate student learning....Since its launch in 2000, the [Intel® Teach] professional development program has equipped more than 10 million primary and secondary school teachers with skills to integrate technologies and project-based teaching methods into lesson plans."

This Intel® Teach overview and research document from the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) describes this teacher training curriculum that aims to provide a collection of skills increasingly demanded by today's employers.

The curriculum is comprised of 15 distinct courses that are offered both as "pre-service" training for university students studying to become educators and "in-service" training for those who are already teachers and include technology skills - such as navigation of various technologies and thinking critically to evaluate and credibly convey information - and teaching/learning approaches - such as student-centred instruction and collaboration among students in teams.

The ICRW conducted qualitative research in Chile, India, and Jordan to answer the question: "do these outcomes make any distinct contributions to girls' and women's empowerment and advancement? ICRW researchers specifically sought to find out:

• How does Intel Teach help teachers create an enabling learning environment for female students? [primary school, age 5-secondary school, age 18]
• In what ways does Intel Teach contribute to the professional and personal advancement of female teachers?
• How do Intel Teach methods enhance female students’ learning and application of skills to their everyday lives? "

Researchers interviewed nearly 100 informants, including teachers, students, principals, supervisors, and local Intel staff. The countries were chosen for their variation in geographic location and for their different levels of gender equality, as measured by their Gender Inequality Index (GII) scores. [Click here to see index rankings and here to see index components.] Chile ranks in the top half of this global index, Jordan in the bottom third, and India in the lowest 10 percent. Box 1 on page 4 gives a comparison chart of the countries' contexts.

Results of the research indicated that the programme trained educators to "use...technology and project-based lessons to engage students while also honoring their different interests and strengths." For example, a teacher in Jordan taught her students about the function of the stock market through posing questions for student research, including what financial transactions are acceptable under Islamic law. "[S]he transformed her classroom into a mock stock market. She gave groups of students each a pot of money to invest. The 'brokers' then chose their investments, tracked their movement on the Internet, and calculated earnings and losses in Excel spreadsheets." The teachers also had more opportunity for professional advancement, including a teacher in India who "started an organization, Creative Teachers of Rajasthan (CTOR) to provide training, information, and resources to other teachers and a platform for discussing education challenges and successes. CTOR offers face-to-face meetings, as well as a website with a bulletin board, e-learning tools, lesson plans, tools for teachers, and a blog where teachers and students interact."

The research found that student learning was enriched and motivation to learn was increased. "Watching videos, playing with 3-D models on SMART boards, or even just viewing images over the Internet deepened their learning." Computer-based research required students to learn to evaluate information. "By working in groups, students also learned how to manage their time by assessing the steps necessary to complete a project, prioritizing and delegating tasks, and creating timelines.  Finally, youth learned how to provide constructive criticism of their fellow classmates' work. Taken together, these are all important skills for today’s competitive workforce...."

The research suggests that girl students showed increased communication skills and agency (voice), as well as leadership capabilities that may help them with advancement in the workplace. Lessons learned include the following:

• A more collaborative and student-centred learning environment allows female students to feel more comfortable asking questions and communicating with their teachers and the rest of their classmates.
• "For female teachers, particularly older ones, Intel Teach gives them the technical skills and agency to realize..." gains in access to resources, networks, and support and to garner greater respect from colleagues and family as a result of confident use of technology.
• "A focus on project-based learning, problem solving, and collaboration resonates with both boys and girls, but can have special relevance for girls who are more likely to face gender-related barriers that limit their voice, aspirations, and access to resources."