They didn’t even know it was happening, Ivana Bogdanovska and Irena Manasievska are seniors in a Macedonian high school.  Active participants in a simulation exercise, they only found out afterwards that their instructor was observing and marking them on how much they had learned in their module on management.

“We were not even aware that the teachers were assessing our work through the games and competitions we took part in during class,” says Ivana. “What a change from the past—we’re not under pressure to just reproduce what we memorized from textbooks.”

Ivana and Irena are in a unique position to observe the changes in teaching methodology that are a result of USAID’s Creative Teaching and Learning Program (CTL).  The program was introduced after their sophomore year so they experienced two years of the “old” system followed by two years of the new teaching methods.   

“We are driven by competitiveness because in simulations and games you can only win if you know!  At the end of the games we learned a lot without really realizing it,” says Irena.

Both young women attend “Pance Popovski” High School in Gostivar, a small town west of the capital city of Skopje, one of 18 schools participating in the program. A total number of 1025 teachers participated and, following intensive training, are now implementing new interactive teaching methodologies in their classrooms.

The program is implemented by the Foundation Open Society Institute Macedonia (FOSIM), and, besides secondary schools, also includes 45 primary schools. The progam aims to: a.) introduce new teaching methods and techniques that encourage students to think critically; b.) establish media labs in primary and high schools and train school teams in using information technology. (The project provided 405 computers, as well as printers, scanners, overhead projectors, and Internet connectivity.); and c.) help school leadership introduce new theories of school improvement that will lead to the creation of effective high schools.

The original project provided for extra-curricular activities and the ongoing development of a network of teachers interested in creative teaching and learning.  The project has been expanded to include working with teacher training institutions, providing them with curricula innovation support, training in the application of interactive teaching methods and child/student-centered methodology, application of Information Technology in the teaching process, as well as providing equipment and renovation of facilities.

Teachers now have e-access to international issues, expert literature, newspapers, magazines etc. It is expected that the project will enhance the quality of educational services, facilities and resources for students – who are of course, future teachers.

“I was lucky that CTL was implemented in my school,” says Irena.  “Our instruction became different and much more interesting.  For the first time we, the students, are encouraged to openly discuss topics that interested us—even argue.”