Peer Tutoring in America (TEPA) in Honduras: A Scalable Active Learning Methodology for Teacher Professional Development

Through the alliance between Educación 2020, Fe y Alegría Honduras, Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Francisco Morazán, and the Secretariat of Education of Honduras, and with support from GPE KIX, a joint endeavor with the International development Research Centre (IDRC), a scalable model of the PT methodology has been designed, piloted and adjusted to support teacher professional development. This model aligns with   current educational policies and local needs to ensure effective implementation. As part of this GPE KIX initiative, 33 education professionals were trained as the trainers, who transferred their knowledge to 108 teachers from 57 schools, directly reaching 461 students who are currently tutors.

"Why implement peer tutoring in Honduras? Because we have a big problem in rural areas where many teachers want to engage students in various activities, but they are in charge of six different grades at once. I think these peer tutoring sessions will be very useful as they allow students to support their teachers by tutoring their peers," says Magda Monterrosa, Assistant in Educational Networks at the Santa Bárbara Department.

The experience has shown  positive effects on the students’ perception of self-efficacy, the family-school relationships and the teacher's professional development. Specifically, teachers see themselves as learners, reinforcing their belief that the students are the protagonists of their own learning and their roles as teachers is that of a facilitator. They have noted that PT enables them to realize that all students can learn,  while unveiling the socio-emotional aspects of learning, mainly  the confidence and interpersonal bonds that students have in themselves and with their peers and teachers.

In general, they adopted a more positive and critical view of their role in the classroom, recognizing teaching as a reflective practice, essential for their students’ learning. 

In practice, PT serves as a space for creation, contextualization and curricular prioritization. Teachers actively seek that students build knowledge by themselves by making intensive use of questions. They have also improved their capacity for planning, reflective teaching and formative assessment, leading to  greater class dynamism.

Peer Tutoring emerged not only as a pedagogical tool but as an inspiration, reinforcing  commitment to teaching.

Clarissa Martínez, Coordinator of Educational Networks of the Departmental Directorate of Education of Atlántida, shares: “This project will last for a long time, since children and teachers have embraced it as a functional tool. Children in this case have also taken ownership of each of the topics and they really want to tutor and be tutored. It is a feasible tool for the child and for the teacher.”

We believe in alliances and networking to overcome the gaps that exist in education worldwide, recovering learning within the logic of supporting social development and the fight against inequality. 

“At Educación 2020, we are committed to contributing  to the education of Honduras, mainly by promoting the learning experiences of boys and girls of this country through professional teacher development; providing support through the strengthening of educational institutions, the training of teachers in the Peer Tutoring methodology, so that they have tools they need to implement the programs  in their classroom,” says María Josefina Aurtenechea, Leader of the GPE KIX Peer Tutoring Project of America (TEPA).

You can watch, share and comment on our video here: #TEPA: Scalability and Teacher Professional Development