Broumana
March 26 and 27, 2011
Zalpha Ayoubi
March 27, 2011
Outline
 Teacher Education in Lebanese University
 The New LMD System
 LMD at the Lebanese University
 LMD at the Faculty of Education
 Problems in Implementation
 Challenges
Teacher Education in Lebanese University
 The Lebanese University was established in 1951 to
serve the diverse social groups that make up Lebanese
society.
 The first department was The High Teachers
Institution which was then replaced by the Faculty of
Education.
Secondary School Teacher Preparation
 Five-year program following High School.
 In 1980: 2 years following License (Equivalent to a
Masters degree)
 In 2003: 1 year following Bachelor degree
 In 2011: The new LMD professional Master: 2 years
after License
Elementary School Teacher Preparation
 Started in 1988 as general education preparation
 1997 curricula: replaced the general elementary
teacher preparation with specialized preparation on
the basis of the cycle and the teaching subjects. There
was balance between the general common courses and
the specialized course. (total 120 credits, 1560 hours)
 In 2008 : The new LMD system curricula
LMD System
 The LMD system is an organizational framework for
university courses which is currently being
implemented in European countries.
 The term LMD (License - Master - Doctorate)
corresponds to the application of the principles for
implementation of the European Higher Education
Area as defined by the Bologna process.
Aims of the LMD system
 To allow for the comparison and harmonization of
European qualifications.
 To promote student mobility.
 To improve the transparency of qualifications on the
job market.
Main aspects of LMD
 Courses are organized by semesters,
 Courses are designed along study paths, with a logical
progression,
 The study paths are made up of a combination of
Courses which are either compulsory, optional or free.
 The successful completion of a Course is rewarded
with credits known as ECTS (European Credit Transfer
System) which can be transferred and are
accumulated.
 The ECTS reflect the overall workload of the student
(courses, experiments, class work, personal work, etc.)
LMD at the Lebanese University (1)
 LMD system was adopted by the Lebanese University
in 2005 (decree 14840).
 Reasons:
 To unify the educational system at the LU
 To be in alignment with the European new system
 To have a more flexible system (departments and
faculties)
 To be open to the job market (qualifications of the
graduate)
LMD at the Lebanese University (2)
 University Degrees:
 Licence (Bachelor)
 Master: Professional and Research
 Doctorat (PhD)
 Credit System:
 One credit is equivalent to 20 hours (total student
workload)
 Each semester is composed of 30 credits
LMD at the Lebanese University (3)
 Courses:
 One course represents the teaching unit dealing with
one subject area during one semester. Each course is
composed of 2-6 credits.
 Courses are either obligatory, elective or free


Obligatory courses: more than 120 credits
Free courses less: than 20 credits
 Distribution of course hours according to lectures (focus
on theory) and classwork (Travaux Dirigés or TD and
Travaux Pratiques or TP)
LMD at the Lebanese University (4)
 Updating the specialties and content of courses
 Adopting new teaching and assessment methods:
 student-centered approaches to teaching and learning
 continuous assessment
 Teachers are required to review their teaching and
assessment methods individually and collectively
LMD at the Faculty of Education (1)
 The LMD courses are organized into three levels. :
 Licence: 6 semesters (3-5 years of study)
 Master: 4 semesters (2-4 years of study)
 Doctorate : 6 semesters of research (3-5 years of study)
 In Licence, students are expected to attend 300 hours
in a 13 week period (i.e. 23 hours/week).
 In Master, students are expected to attend 210 hours in
14 week period (i.e. 15 hours/week)
 Master: professional and research
LMD at the Faculty of Education (2)
 License Specialties:




Teaching of Arabic Language at the Elementary Level
Teaching of French Language at the Elementary Level
Teaching of English Language at the Elementary Level
Teaching of Mathematics at the Elementary Level (French and
English)
 Teaching of Science at the Elementary Level (French and English)
 Teaching of Social Studies at the Elementary Level
 Early Childhood Education (French and English)
 Physical and Sports Education
 Music Education
 Art Education
Distribution of Credits
68
37.8%
24
10
34
(
8
)10
70
38.9%
36
20%
6
3.3%
180
36
34
)10 + 24(
20
+
16
)4 + 12(
+
)
(
Distribution of Credits (ECE)
70
38.9%
84
46.7%
20
11.1%
6
3.3%
180
24
12
34
62
22
)10 + 12(
)
+
4
8
8(
Distribution of Credits (Sports, Music, Art)
66
36.7%
88
48.9%
20
11.1%
6
3.3%
180
24
10
32
46
42
Course Syllabus (1)
Course Name: Strategies for Teaching Science 1
Code:
No. of Credits: 4
Language of Instruction: English/French
Teaching Hours: 40
Teaching Hours Distribution: TH (28) ; TD (12)
Course Syllabus (2)
 1. General Objectives
 2. Intended Learning Outcomes
 3. Course Outline
 4. Methods of Teaching
 5. Evaluation
 6. References
Problems in Implementation
 Students are overwhelmed with the heavy load they have.
 Many instructors did not change the lectures’ contents in




the subjects they teach and their assessment practices
The evaluation system is not homogeneous as instructors
use different evaluation techniques.
Practicum courses
No collaboration with members of the professional
community
Administration of the program
Challenges
 International Standards of Teacher Education
 Teaching for the 21st century skills
NCATE Standards
 Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and





Professional Dispositions
Standard 2: Assessment System and Unit Evaluation
Standard 3: Field Experiences and Clinical Practice
Standard 4: Diversity
Standard 5: Faculty Qualifications, Performance, and
Development
Standard 6: Unit Governance and Resources
QAA Standards
 Academic standards
 ILOs (Intended Learning Outcomes)
 Curriculum
 Assessment
 Student Achievement
 Quality of learning opportunities
 Teaching and Learning
 Student progression
 Learning Resources
 Quality assurance and enhancement
st
21
Century Skills
 Learning and Innovation Skills (creativity and innovation,
critical thinking, problem solving, communication and
collaboration
 Information, Media and Technology Skills
 Core Subjects and 21st Century Themes (global awareness,
financial literacy, etc.). Through the study of a series of
global issues, students increase their global awareness and
explore content related to business & economics, science &
technology, and society & politics.
 Life and Career Skills (initiative, self-direction, etc.)
Teacher Education for 21st Century (1)
 Content Area preparation should not simply be a sampling
of undergraduate courses with no unifying threads.
 the courses in the major should require experiences that
synthesize not only the content but also the
methodological and epistemological framework that
guides inquiry in that domain.
 In teacher education programs, all teachers should
participate in subject-specific methods courses that
include regular opportunities to engage in the kinds of
intellectual work characterized by the 21st Century skills.
Teacher Education for 21st Century (2)
 During practice teaching, pre-service teachers should
be placed in schools with cooperating teachers and
trainers who:
 are competent with meaningful inquiry work and
fostering 21st Century skills
 understand how to use all forms of assessment to give
feedback to students and modify instruction
 understand how to scaffold novices as they try out these
practices themselves
Keeping in Mind
 Teacher Education is:
 a continuum of programs and professional experiences
that enables individuals to move from college
preparation for teaching to careers in teaching subject
areas.
 a career-long process that allows teachers to acquire and
regularly update the content knowledge and pedagogy
needed to teach in ways that enhance student learning
and achievement.