Empowering Teachers
Initiative
The Empowering Teachers Initiative: Teacher Professional Development at Scale (ETI) is a 42-month research for development program that seeks to improve teacher practices in the Global South by improving equity, quality, and efficiency in TPD systems.

Design for scale, localize for inclusion
What is ETI?
Continuing its commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4, the TPD@Scale Coalition for the Global South, led by the Foundation for Information Technology Education and Development (FIT-ED) in the Philippines and SUMMA, the Laboratory of Education Research and Innovation for Latin America and the Caribbean, in Chile, with funding support from the International Research Development Centre (IDRC) of Canada, embarks on ETI, a 42-month research for development program that seeks to improve teacher practices in the Global South by improving equity, quality, and efficiency in TPD systems.
Improving teacher practices in the Global South
Teachers play a crucial role in making education relevant and valuable for all children, particularly those from vulnerable socio-economic backgrounds. Unfortunately, many teachers worldwide face discouraging circumstances, such as inadequate training, lack of recognition, and low compensation, which hinder their effectiveness in the classroom. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent school closures further exposed gaps in teachers’ pedagogical and digital skills, limiting their ability to adapt to various teaching modes. Addressing these challenges is essential to ensure that the teaching profession can adapt and meet the diverse learning demands across different contexts.
Teacher professional development (TPD) is a critical lever in addressing these challenges. TPD offers opportunities for continuous learning and staying up-to-date with research and effective pedagogies. Done well, TPD empowers teachers to improve their instructional practices, engage students more effectively, and help them achieve better learning outcomes. This entails equipping teachers with the skills to meet the diverse needs of students, including those with learning difficulties, disabilities, disadvantaged backgrounds, and those at-risk and in fragile settings. Effective TPD also promotes a reflective and inquiry-based approach to teaching, which is essential for continuous professional growth.
Scaling quality TPD to facilitate active participation for all teachers is a complex undertaking. TPD systems are multi-layered, comprising numerous components and actors within a broader educational ecosystem. In the Global South, specific groups of teachers face multiple challenges, with limited quality TPD opportunities that may not cater to their specific contexts. Overcoming these challenges requires a holistic approach to scaling that goes beyond mere numbers and addresses the contextual problems of practice faced by different groups of teachers.
ETI seeks to contribute to addressing the professional needs of all teachers and transforming TPD systems to be more equitable, effective, and efficient. To do so, there is a need for more research, learning, and new models to contribute to scaling quality TPD, particularly in terms of the range of adaptations and innovations that work in different Global South contexts, and how to deliver them at scale.
Where we are
The program promotes research-policy collaborations in at least 10 countries, using evidence-based frameworks to improve large-scale TPD systems. Governments are expected to adopt an inclusive approach prioritizing equity, quality, and efficiency in designing and implementing TPD programs.
The program is building a global community of researchers and partners from 20 countries in all continents.
ETI in numbers

ETI envisions impacting over 3 million teachers and at least 50 million students.

Partners from 20 countries across the globe

42-month programme
Program timeline and plan thus far

Blog and latest news
Call for papers: Teacher Professional Development at Scale Enabled by Emerging Technologies
December 20, 2024
Latest news
ECNU Review of Education (https://journals.sagepub.com/home/roe) invites manuscript submissions for a forthcoming special issue themed “Teacher Professional Development at Scale Enabled… ...Read more
Launch of the Network for Teacher Empowerment in Latin America and the Caribbean
December 17, 2024
Latest news
The first meeting of the Network for Teacher Empowerment in Latin America and the Caribbean, of the Empowering Teachers Initiative… ...Read more
Second Online Conversation: Analysis and use of a new framework tool from the TPD@Scale Coalition that utilizes ICTs to strengthen TPD systems
December 12, 2024
Latest news
On Wednesday, December 4, the second Online Conversation from the Empowering Teachers Initiative (ETI) entitled: "Harnessing ICT for Large-Scale Teacher… ...Read more