Goal 4. Quality Education
intiatives
Schools Teachers Training
Every time quality education is mentioned in the targets for SDG 4, it infers the necessity of qualified teachers to deliver that quality. Unfortunately, in too many schools the quality of education and learning is low. Part of the problem is a lack of qualified teachers. Accordingly, AASTMT will conduct a 2-day SDG ‘Training of Teachers
It aims to support capacity building for teacher educators in Childhood Education, Primary and Secondary Education, and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). In this programme, teacher will be supported to work on developing an understanding of Education for Sustainable Development in their teacher education practice, building on this definition and explanation of Education for Sustainable Development. The training runs on August 2022 , at the main campus in Abu Qir.
SDG Professional Training Course
Incorporating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our teaching can help students make connections between their disciplinary knowledge and skills and the world’s most pressing challenges, and Teaching is an important metric when measuring SDG implementation at universities. Accordingly, SDGs workforce and Deanery of Scientific Research have teamed up to launch a new, innovative zero-credit professional training course for Spring 2022 that introduces students to the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a blueprint for addressing grand challenges to achieve a more equitable and sustainable future for all. Moreover, the introduction of the SDGs aids the development of students’ global competence and ability to collaborate and lead across national boundaries. All students MUST complete this professional training course requirements and pass before graduation.
Youth Summer Camp
AASTMT will organize "The 1st SDGs Youth Summer Camp" to build and enhance youth’s knowledge on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) particularly on SDG 4 and SDG 5 and design thinking methodology. The camp will be conducted in the first week of August 2022 in Abu Qir main Campus in Alexandria.
Objectives
The objectives of the SDGs Summer Camp will include but are not limited to the following:
• Build and enhance knowledge of the youth on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, and their capacity and contribution
• Foster youth leadership skills, with design thinking, critical-thinking, and engagement through dialogues and exercises on SDGs implementation
• Provide opportunities for networking among youth and
• Expand the host institution’s partnership with youth leaders for the SDGs
Eligibility
• Any Egyptian nationals and foreigners born between 1995 and 2003 are eligible (30 participants will be ed).
• Those who currently reside in Egypt
• The participants will be ed based on their motivation, capacities, and English proficiency while ensuring gender and geographical balance.
Methodologies
The first SDGs Youth Summer Camp will take place in a hybrid format (online + onsite) learning methodology, using the Zoom to enable and strengthen youth engagement. To maximize the effectiveness of the training, this year’s Camp will focus on SDG 4 and SDG 5
The learning process for the camp will use a Design Thinking methodology for a user-centric approach in developing accelerated solutions. Through this methodology, youth will contribute to SDGs implementation by understanding users, redefining problems and creating innovative solutions. The design thinking approach allows participants to develop empathy, systems-thinking, and critical-thinking skills, while also developing ideation or creative thinking, collaboration, negotiation, evaluation, advocacy, and other essential leadership skills.
Mapping the Courses studied at the AASTMT with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The main aim of this initiative is to increase the implementation of the SDGs into the courses and modules provided by the AASTMT educational programs.
During the first term of the academic year 2020, starting in Fall Semester, the first step in this initiative was to create a benchmark by indicating the percentage of courses provided by the AASTMT educational programs adopts the SDGs. This is followed by a structured plan to increase the percentage to higher target by Fall 2021.
The initiative explores the sustainability status of the course offerings and to understand the interdisciplinary capacity in pursuing the SDGs at the AASTMT.
It also provides a significant benefit to AASTMT. First, to help faculty members better understanding of how their teaching materials are associated with SDGs and to raise their awareness on the topic. Second, to teach students about the relationship between their learning content and the SDGs. Finally, to help AASTMT establish a baseline of sustainability in their curriculum, so that we can plan our strategy for sustainability and prioritize resource allocation accordingly.
Methodology
1. Data collection—The Professors collect sustainability data of courses and map the courses to the suitable SDG
2. Data analysis—Investigating the current curriculum associated with SDGs at the university level and virtualizing the results for interpretation
3. Dimension analyzed—Based on the objectives, analysis was conducted to understand the distribution of SDGs-related courses at university level.
Results (Fall 2020)
At the university level, Mapping the curriculum to SDGs resulted in the courses achieved different percentages, as shown in the chart, the curriculum of AASTMT covers almost all SDGs, noting that there are some SDGs need to be more coherent in the curriculum, which are: SDG1, SDG2, SDG6, SDG7, SDG13, SDG14, SDG15. This is the first phase, and It is planned to further developing of SDGs in the curriculum. In addition, we found that it would be better to execute this study in a more accurate way, by implementing it at the college and department levels.
Recommendation
In the next phase (Fall 2021), We need to investigate the curriculum associated with SDGs in AASTMT at the department, college and university levels. The objectives of this study are:
(1) establishing a baseline status of sustainability in the overall curriculum of AASTMT through the distribution of SDGs-related courses at different levels,
(2) understanding the interdisciplinary capacity of the faculty members in pursuing the SDGs and
(3) offering evidence-based practice for departments to reform their curriculum by integrating SDGs. The SDGs course inventory provides opportunities to gain insights into the whole structure of the curriculum framework, such that a university may plan its strategy for sustainability accordingly.
Links:
Mapping the Courses studied at the AASTMT with the Sustainable Development