HH Shaikh Khalifa HM King Hamad HH Shaikh Salman

bin Salman Al Khalifa bin Isa Al Khalifa bin Hamad Al Khalifa

Prime Minister King of Bahrain Crown Prince and

Deputy Supreme Commander

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 “Education empowers people to reach their full potential in business, government and
society. It will shape and develop the successive generations of leaders that our country
needs and will provide Bahrainis with the skills, knowledge and values that they need to
become the employees of choice for high-value added positions.

Because education is essential for making this Vision a reality, we need to develop an
education system that provides every citizen with educational opportunities appropriate
to their individual needs, aspirations and abilities. Education and training need to be
relevant to the requirements of Bahrain and its economy, delivered to the highest
possible quality standards, and accessible based on ability and merit.”

From Regional Pioneer to Global Contender:

The Economic Vision 2030 for Bahrain, p. 21

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 Message from H.E. Dr. Ebrahim Mohammed Janahi, President of the University of Bahrain

Those who choose to enter the Bahrain Teachers College of the University of Bahrain
are embracing a profession that will never stop challenging them to grow and develop
in the best of senses.

As students of the BTC, they will learn about the many ways in which people learn and
discover – whether they are children just entered the first grade or young men and
women preparing to graduate from university. More importantly, they will experience
this in the classrooms of Bahrain as they apply what they learn from their professors in
practice teaching and micro-teaching assignments.

The programme that we offer to prepare the students of the BTC as teachers blends
knowledge, learning and practice in a manner designed to foster your creativity and
effectiveness as a teacher – as a leader of the youth of our nation.

Those of you who join the BTC will play key roles in the development of Bahrain today
and into the future. Just as the twentieth century was one of dramatic change for our
nation, the strategic plan mapped out for Bahrain’s twenty-first is full of promise and
opportunity.

Realizing the benefits of this will depend upon you, for these goals will be achieved by
the graduates of your classrooms. Success will depend upon your ability to prepare
them for engagement, service and the careers of the future.

To become a teacher is to lead the way to the future of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Teaching is a profession that provides the highest form of service to the nation, just
as it returns to the individual teacher endless satisfaction in a constantly changing and
evolving human landscape.

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 Message from Dr. Kathryn Bindon, Director of the Bahrain Teachers College

The opportunity to enter a profession that builds upon what you already know and
have experienced is one that offers endless possibilities for growth and development.
Becoming a teacher is such an occasion, for it relates in so many ways to your experiences
as a student. It allows you the opportunity to build upon the positive experiences and
to model the practice of those great teachers who helped you to learn and discover. It
also gives you a chance to think about what didn’t work, and those times when learning
was a challenge or seemed to be mysterious in its intentions.

Perhaps most importantly, however, becoming a teacher is a process that empowers the
individual to adopt a routine of continuous personal improvement through reflection,
research, observation and engagement. It is a profession that is global in reach, and
where the network of excellence is international in scope just as the implementation of
best methods is regional in practice.

The Bahrain Teachers College is a new initiative within the University of Bahrain which
brings the latest research, internationally prepared professors and programmes of
teacher preparation and professional development to the service of Bahrain. The
programmes and activities described in the following pages are a portal through
which you may enter a profession that is truly geared to the needs of the twenty-first
century.

To teach is to lead your students and your communities to knowledge and practice, the
two essential ingredients for success in our world. It is a profession that will continue
to satisfy and reward you, just as it will stimulate you with every new class that you
welcome.

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THE BTC GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBERS

The Bahrain Teachers College works closely with all who share an interest in the
education of the youth of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The BTC Governing Council brings
together representatives of the Ministry of Education, the University of Bahrain and the
Community to provide policy advice and oversight to the administration of the BTC.

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 “OUR MOST IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE, OUR TEACHERS….”

Teachers are at the heart of a nation’s success.

The quality of teaching links directly to the abilities of citizens to participate fully and
effectively in every aspect of their society. Good teachers prepare students to become
lifelong learners and skilled practitioners, whatever career path they may choose. The
culture and history of the nation are communicated by teachers who bring the past into
the classrooms of the present, in order to strengthen their students’ understanding
of their roots and future responsibilities. And good teaching prepares students to
engage in service to their communities as well as to become good stewards of their
environment and their world.

These are the essential qualities of citizenship for those who wish to participate as
equals and partners in the global knowledge economy of the 21st century.

The Bahrain Teachers College (BTC) of the University of Bahrain was established
to provide initial teacher preparation and continuing professional development to
those Bahrainis who choose the profession of teaching. Drawing its programming
methodology and philosophy from professional institutes of education throughout the
world, the BTC has been supported in developing its first programmes by the National
Institute of Education of Singapore, one of the world’s most successful teachers
colleges. The BTC’s programmes are all benchmarked to international standards of
excellence in practice, action research and the ongoing development of pedagogy and
methodology for success in the classrooms of Bahrain.

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THE MISSION OF THE BAHRAIN TEACHERS COLLEGE

The Bahrain Teachers College applies the Mission of the University of Bahrain to serve
the Kingdom of Bahrain through teaching, research and service in the preparation of
teachers, administrators and education professionals.

TEACHING
• The Bahrain Teachers College embraces an approach to teacher education
that is learner-centred at every level: primary, elementary, intermediate,
senior and post-secondary;
• The BTC encourages students preparing to teach in the K-12 system to
explore and engage:
• Theoretical and practical knowledge;
• Formal and informal learning; and
• Established and innovative pedagogy and best practice.

RESEARCH
• The BTC embraces an approach to research that is linked to the continuous
improvement of the K-12 system and teacher preparation;
• The BTC will work closely with the Ministry of Education and the Economic
Development Board in support of developing a learner-centred research
agenda for the Kingdom of Bahrain;
• Members of Faculty will participate in active and applied research
initiatives, and will build partnerships within the university and the
community to enhance the effectiveness of these efforts;
• BTC graduates will be prepared to be researchers and contributors to
system analysis and improvement;
• The institution will develop an institutional and applied research capacity to
support curriculum and classroom development.

SERVICE
• The Bahrain Teachers College will graduate teachers for the primary,
elementary, intermediate and senior schools of the Kingdom of
Bahrain who meet the highest standards of contemporary professional
preparation; and
• The faculty, staff and administration of the BTC will embrace all
opportunities to improve the quality of education available to the youth of
the nation.

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 BUILDING YOUR TEACHING CAREER

The BTC is the gateway to becoming a professional teacher in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The programmes are designed to prepare graduates of high school or university for
different levels of teaching employment in a variety of specializations. All programmes
concentrate on practical application of classroom learning.

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THE BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (B.Ed.) PROGRAMME

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES with high academic achievement who demonstrate a desire
to become members of the teaching profession may enter the Bachelor of Education
(B.Ed.) programme directly. The programme requires 126 credit hours of programmed
study plus an initial Orientation programme, remedial, enrichment and practical work.
It can be completed within four calendar years.

With a B.Ed., graduates move directly to employment as either a Primary (Cycle 1)

Teacher or a Primary (Cycle 2) Specialist in Arabic & Islamic Studies, English or Maths
& Sciences. There are five key components: Education Studies, Curriculum Content,
Curriculum Studies, Field Work and Personal Development.

The B.Ed. has a strong cross-curriculum core and two preparation tracks that provide
the necessary competencies (knowledge, skills and values/dispositions) for a beginning
teacher to play a transformative, professional role in Bahraini schools in lower or upper
primary school (Cycle 1 or Cycle 2).

This programme engages teacher candidates in a range of teaching-learning strategies

such as lecture, tutorial, group work, role play, interactive communication technology,
project work, micro-teaching, peer-coaching, behavioural analysis, field work, and
self-reflection. Delivery will be in Arabic and in English language. In order to develop
students’ language competency so that they can access literature in the education
studies field, those modules will be delivered in English. Programme and course
assessment procedures include examination, test/quiz, research, oral and written
reports, teaching-behaviour analysis, production of artifacts, such as teaching-learning
aids, unit and lesson plans and student assessment rubrics, as well as an electronic
professional portfolio.

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 THE POST-GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION (PGDE)

The one-year Post Graduate Diploma of Education (PGDE) programme targets university
graduates with a bachelor’s degree and offers appropriate content knowledge as the
basis for becoming effective subject specialist teachers in post-primary schools. The PGDE
has two preparation tracks that provide the necessary competencies (knowledge, skills
and values/dispositions) for a beginning teacher to play a transformative, professional
role in Bahraini schools in either the intermediate or secondary level.

This PGDE programme engages teacher candidates in a range of teaching-learning

strategies such as lecture, tutorial, group work, role play, interactive communication
technology, project work, micro-teaching, peer-coaching, behavioural analysis, field
work, and self-reflection. In order to develop students’ language competency so that
they can access literature in the education studies field, a number of courses will be
delivered in English. Programme and course assessment procedures include examination,
test/quiz, research, oral and written reports, teaching-behaviour analysis, production of
artefacts, such as teaching-learning aids, unit and lesson plans and student assessment
rubrics, as well as an electronic professional portfolio.

PGDE Programme Structure

The PGDE engages the teacher candidate (graduating with one teaching specialisation)
in 33 credit hours of study. This programme has four key components: Education
Studies, Curriculum Studies, Studies in Communication for Educators, and Professional
Practice (applied studies).

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The Vocational Teacher Preparation Programme

The Vocational Teacher Preparation programme is designed for high school leavers
who have demonstrated their skills in one of the areas designated for vocational
programming and the intermediate or secondary school levels. It is a B.Ed. programme
designed to blend pedagogy and method, skills development and teaching practice.

The BTC is working with the colleagues from the University of British Columbia in
Canada to develop learning frameworks and teacher preparation programming that
will respond to the areas of vocational programming established by the Ministry of
Education.

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 BTC Faculty

BTC’s faculty are drawn from experienced academics who have internationally
recognized credentials from leading universities. They are also practiced in pedagogy,
and many have earned their teaching license in North America, Europe or Asia. They
are experienced in both the university and the classroom, familiar with and active in
Action Research and familiar with the essential component of BTC’s programmes, the
teaching practicum.

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Language of Instruction

The languages of instruction, study and research at the BTC are Arabic and English. The
BTC is a bilingual institution for the following reasons:

• Schools in the public system of Bahrain teach in Arabic, which is the

official and legal language of the nation. The Ministry of Education has
made a commitment to preparing students for participation in the global
knowledge economy through delivering English as Second Language
training to students from Grade 1 on.
• Much leading contemporary research in areas critical to excellent teacher
preparation is done in English and is not available in translation. Student
teachers must be exposed to this literature in a critical context that will
help them to become lifelong learners as they apply best practice in their
classrooms.
• Developing research programmes, engaging in networks of excellence
and establishing linkages to maintain international standards will require
working in English in many instances.
• The strategic priorities for economic development identified by the
government of Bahrain are in the service and financial sectors, areas in
which employees at all levels must be able to work in more than one
language. Bahrain’s teachers will find themselves

Accordingly:

• Instruction in the BTC shall be in both Arabic and English;

• Students and members of faculty shall be able to instruct and participate
in a bilingual context as appropriate to the subject matter and teaching/
research requirements;
• Orientation and enrichment English language programming shall be
provided to all students during the first two years, by which time they are
expected to be functionally and conceptually bilingual for the purposes of
their professional assignments in the Bahrain school system;
• When Curriculum Studies courses are taught in English, teacher candidates
will learn to bridge their content and pedagogical knowledge between
English and Arabic.

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 PROFESSIONAL PROGRESSION OPTIONS FOR TEACHERS

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