A second chance in education: Upgrade teachers’ perceptions of tertiary education in Samoa

Abstract

A second chance in education is becoming more and more infrequent in the region. The study is the first in Samoa and makes references to existing literature on teacher upgrade. This paper investigated whether the Teacher Upgrade programme in Samoa contributed positively to teaching and learning in schooling. The programme itself is a pathway for teachers to gain a degree qualification, a rise in pay and an opportunity to hold leadership positions of responsibility at the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC). Teacher upgrade programmes have made a difference in former colonised nations’ education systems. Samoa, for instance, started teacher upgrade five years ago and has witnessed improvement in its education system, particularly with students’ performance and engagement. The participants in the Teacher Upgrade programme included teachers, school principals, and senior officers from the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC). Qualitative data was collected through the utilisation of an indigenous research methodology—talanoa and nofo—that aligns with the lived realities of the participants. The findings highlighted teacher upgrade has positive educational outcomes for teachers in the programme. This ranged from knowledge, skills, creativity in resource making, diverse pedagogical know-how, improvement in the use and application of technology, and improvements in higher qualification and salary.