Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 underlines the need for quality teaching to ensure quality education by 2030. Teachers are key determinants of quality education and investment in effective professional development is critical if teachers’ competence and student learning outcomes are to be improved. As many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa grapple with acute shortages of qualified teachers for their rapidly expanding basic education sectors, the potential significance of continuous professional development is gaining wider recognition. However, many in-service teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) do not adequately benefit from meaningful continuous professional development that can enhance their capacity. Inadequate content mastery, lack of pedagogical skills and large classes are some of the challenges facing teachers. One proven approach to enhancing teacher professional development is in-service teacher mentorship and support that involves building capacity of experienced teachers to provide guidance to other teachers. Well-designed teacher mentorship and support programs have been documented to be both an effective and cost-effective form of professional development. Teacher mentorship programs exist across countries in SSA but there is inadequate evidence on the sustainability and efficiency of these programs especially for teachers at the secondary school level.  
 
This project will adapt and scale up a teacher mentorship and support model known as School based In-service Teacher Training (SITT), a practice-based approach that involves training experienced teachers and college tutors to mentor other secondary school teachers through peer learning exchange, model lessons and team teaching. SITT was first piloted in select districts in Tanzania in 2003 and has since been adapted across Tanzania’s primary schools. The project will contextualize and adapt this model that has been successful at primary school levels to secondary schools in Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia. These three countries have demonstrated commitment to continuous teacher professional development, however existing programs are not yet comprehensive and do not adequately include the mentorship & support approach. The project’s intended outcome is strengthened government efforts to implement well-functioning school-based in-service teacher training programs that improve the quality of teaching, empower students, and enhance the quality of basic education.