After the COVID-19 pandemic caused massive job losses, a groundbreaking program in Israel is offering new hope to professionals looking for a fresh start. The rapid-fire training course, called Kivun H’adash, which means “New Direction,” is designed to address two pressing issues: a nationwide teacher shortage and widespread unemployment among those with college degrees. Professors Yael Fisher, Orna Shatz-Oppenheimer and Dr. Rinat Arviv Elyashiv examine how the program works and its potential benefits to the education system. Their findings were published in the journal Educational Science, which focuses on advances in teaching methods.
The program was created with support from the Ministry of Education and other organizations in the face of the challenges of the pandemic. It allows candidates to obtain teaching qualifications after several months of intense online courses and practical exercises. Online courses delivered through tools such as Zoom are synchronous, meaning participants and instructors can discuss in real time. The program feels like a “mission,” as one coordinator described it, because it addresses not only the economic crisis but also the need for teachers in important areas such as science, math, and early childhood education. The program signals a new way of thinking about using online platforms to deliver classes.
Despite the obstacles of quickly recruiting and organizing such a program, a large number of participants signed up. Many students bring a sense of commitment and life experience. One coordinator stated, “Students are more mature; they bring added value…experience with people, children, and life itself. Their maturity is seen as a strength and helps them cope with the rigorous demands of the program.” Known as the alternative training model, it offers career changers a non-traditional fast track into the teaching profession.
Several obstacles make the program particularly challenging. For example, pandemic-related school closures limited opportunities for participants to practice teaching in real classrooms. Hands-on training, known as clinical training, allows trainee teachers to observe and teach in actual school settings, but with schools closed, this has become difficult. Coordinators must think creatively and use virtual teaching simulations, students to practice teaching through digital tools, and online team teaching to make up for this. Despite these efforts, Dr. Fisher said, “They learned the material but did not interact with the classroom,” stressing the importance of real-world practice in teacher training.
Problems aside, the study found the program was effective and timely in addressing dual crises. The facilitator expressed both optimism and caution about whether all participants would be able to adjust to the realities of teaching. As one coordinator shared, “I’m not sure everyone will succeed. Some people find managing a classroom challenging. Managing a classroom is a skill known as classroom management, which refers to maintaining order and creating efficient learning environment, which can be a daunting task for new teachers.
Teachers and education planners can learn a lot from this measure, which shows how flexible and alternative training programs can help address long-standing challenges in the system. Alternative courses refer to non-traditional methods of training professionals that are often faster and more flexible than traditional courses. It also emphasizes that future programs must ensure that trainees receive sufficient practical experience and strong support to prepare them for the realities of teaching.
Going forward, the study concluded that while online courses can effectively cover theory, practical teaching practices remain crucial. A balanced approach that combines online learning with on-the-ground experiences, such as students teaching in real classrooms, is critical to training future educators. “Hybrid teacher training courses can teach subject content online,” Dr Fisher said, “but the practical work, including clinical training and specialization, may need to take place in the traditional setting of a teacher training institution.”
As schools around the world continue to adapt to rapid change, the experience of Kivun H’adash in Israel provides an inspiring example of how challenge can lead to innovation.
Journal reference
Fisher, Y.; Schatz-Oppenheimer, O.; Arviv Elyashiv, R. “The Impact of COVID-19 on Short-Term Teacher Education Programs: The Case of Israel.” Educational Science, 2024.
About the author
jelfish is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Management at Ahva College in Israel. She holds a Ph.D. in educational administration. Her research focuses on educational administration and policy, parent involvement, educational excellence, and teacher and principal self-efficacy. Professor Fisher has published numerous articles and three books: Paths to Excellence: Success Stories from Five Israeli Schools (2008), There’s Another Way: Success Stories of Parent Involvement in Schools (2010); New horizons in theory: Interdisciplinary collaboration in the search for structure in content space and measurement (2011). For the past 20 years, she has served as an adviser to the Department of Education and personal adviser to the Minister for Minority Affairs. Professor Fisher played an important role in defining policy for Israel’s principal training program and in key management positions (e.g., dean of graduate schools, president of colleges, etc.) at Ahava College and elsewhere. Serves as a board and editorial member of an academic book publisher and as an academic advisor to an academic college writing a master’s degree.
Ona Schatz Oppenheimer Associate Professor, Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is the head of the Department of Social Sciences at Hacademic Hemdat Teachers College. She has served as a lecturer at the Department of Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at the David J. Yellin Master of Education College. She conducts qualitative narrative research on new teachers and professional identity. She has published books and articles.
Dr. Rinat Arviv Elyashiv Served as director of the Research Bureau of the Kibbutz Institute of Education. Her research focuses on education policy, the teaching profession, teacher professional development, educational assessment and social inequality. She is involved in international partnerships to promote the professional identity and development of teachers.
