The Low-Tech programme is an innovative initiative for professional development designed for rural teachers in Mexico, aiming to provide them with constant access to high-quality educational materials through their mobile phones. Our goal is to promote equal opportunities in professional development for English teachers in remote areas, thereby contributing to improving the educational quality in disadvantaged communities.
In 2022, in collaboration with the Secretariat of Education of the State of Chiapas, we adapted and successfully launched the Low-Tech program in Mexico, specifically focusing on this state. To ensure continuous access to course content, we provided mobile data to the participants.
During the first months of 2023, we delivered the first module of the course to 365 rural teachers in Chiapas. This module included in-person and synchronous sessions, followed by hours of asynchronous study on Lesson Planning. The results of the pilot course were highly satisfactory, with 98% of the teachers' expectations met and a course completion rate of 89%.
Following the success of the first module, between September and November 2023, in collaboration with English Programmes Americas, we delivered the second module on Classroom Management. We conducted research on the effectiveness of using mobile messaging applications for the continuous professional development of English teachers in Mexico, and we are pleased to share the results of this research with you.