Implementation of the UAE Environmental Sustainability Framework through national rollout of professional development for K-12 teachers and school principals

The Environmental Sustainability Framework consists of four levels for Grades 1 to 12: Level 1 from grades K – 4, Level 2 by the end of Grade 6, Level 3 by the end of Grade 9, and Level 4 by the end of Grade 12. For each grade band, at different level of depth and sophistication, the Framework describes three interrelated learning dimensions of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) - the cognitive, the social and emotional, and behavioral; and also details linkages to knowledge domains of the national curriculum and environmental sustainability across subjects.

As such, the design of the Teachers’ Resource Package should consider the following elements:

• Activities for implementation in the classroom, differentiated by grade band. The sophistication and depth of content of lessons increases for higher grades. Lessons should include highlight boxes with concrete and engaging ideas for inter-disciplinarity, inclusion, and formative assessment. Draft activities were prepared for the different age groups by the curricula team of MOE and will be used by the consulting firm as the basis for the Teachers Resource Package.
• The process of design should consider consultation with MoE, children and adolescents – to ensure relevance and effectiveness for the context.
• Lessons should follow a learning trajectory and alignment with UAE standards (linkage to specific standards should be noted in each lesson)
• Digital format in English and Arabic
• Lessons available in a learning/training platform where each trainer has an individual profile and password protected access.

In order to achieve transformational change towards greater environmental sustainability, it is necessary not only to engage teachers, but to engage school principals and communities.

Hence, the contracted company should also design a training package for principals focused on practical implementation of the Whole School Approach (WSA) to environmental sustainability included in the Environmental Sustainability Framework. The WSA model seeks to engage all students, teachers, school leadership, parents, administrative and maintenance staff in the promotion of environmental sustainability.

This training should be time-efficient and equip school principals with tools to support their staff to embed sustainability in teaching and learning and to create community partnerships and relationships focused on better local capacity for climate action. At minimum, this training package should aim for:

• Improving school principals understanding how to implement the UAE Climate Education Framework across curricular subjects in a whole school
• Digital training platform that principals and teachers can use to access materials and resources

Key actors in this national scale effort are master trainers. The contracted company will upskill 100 master trainers who will be responsible for cascade training, contributing to national rollout of the Environmental Sustainability Framework. The training for master trainers should aim for:

• Promoting deep understanding of the UAE Climate Education Framework
• Equipping master trainers with learning tools for supporting classroom teachers and school principals to implement the lessons in the Teachers’ resource pack and monitor learning of their students
• Digital training platform that master trainers can use to conduct their own trainings and access materials and resources.
• Coaching: one in person session and one online session per trainer.

The contracted company will be responsible for delivering 4 training events for master trainers and should detail the structure of the training in their technical proposal