Strengthening Early Childhood Education in Jordan

This three-year partnership strengthened the existing early childhood education undergraduate programs at the University of Jordan and Petra University by improving the undergraduate degree programs to reflect best practices in early childhood education, enhancing the theoretical and assessment materials in undergraduate classes, and increasing the links between theory and classroom practice.

By providing ongoing training and workshops, translating important materials for undergraduate students, establishing early childhood education resource rooms at both universities, and implementing revised practices for student teachers, this collaboration delivered on the following goals:

1. Increasing the number of graduates with basic knowledge of early childhood development theory, appropriate pedagogy, and relevant skills to deliver high quality early childhood education
2. Delivering well-designed practicum experiences for student teachers, ultimately reducing the burden on the Ministry of Education to provide teachers with intensive in-service training courses
3. Providing guidance to improve the skills of current kindergarten teachers who mentor and instruct university students throughout the student teaching process.

As the partnership's funded activity drew to a close, Petra University hosted a regional conference to highlight strengths of the early childhood practices at the Jordanian universities, within the Ministry of Education, as well as in primary schools and in the private sector. Nearly 400 professionals and students attended the conference. The University of Jordan outfitted a kindergarten classroom practice laboratory with state-of-the-art materials.

Together, the partners established an enhanced undergraduate early childhood education curriculum at both universities, with specific improvements to the student-teaching aspect of education for young Jordanian teachers-in-training.