OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

Terms of reference for a consultant-writer to produce a Technical brief on the role of teachers in preventing and addressing school violence & bullying based on the research findings from two studies commissioned by UNESCO

Duration of the contract: October to November 2021

Long Description

Background

Teachers are instrumental in creating a safe and non-violent learning environment and in preventing and responding to violence between students in schools. They are often immediate witnesses to school violence and the first to intercede to stop violent behaviour. A solid understanding of teachers’ perceptions and practices is essential to inform efforts to strengthen their role in violence prevention and response.

UNESCO has therefore recently developed two reports based on research findings from two studies it commissioned to explore the role of teachers in preventing and addressing school violence and bullying:

1. Safe to Learn: What do teachers think and do about violence in schools?  This report presents the findings from a research conducted with teachers in early 2020. It draws on data from a global online survey of 34,877 teachers, of whom about 80% from Central and South America and 20%  from across other regions, as well as focus group discussions with teachers in Nepal, Tanzania, Thailand and Zambia. The study sheds light on how teachers view violence in schools, what they do to prevent and address it, and whether they have the necessary skills and support to help them prevent and respond to school violence.
2. Analysis of experience and outcomes of Connect with Respect violence prevention programme in countries in Eastern and Southern Africa and Asia-Pacific regions. This report presents an overview of the findings from the analysis of data collected as part of the piloting of the Connect with Respect (CWR) program in countries in Eastern and Southern Africa and Asia-Pacific regions, including Zambia, Tanzania, Eswatini, Thailand and Timor-Leste. CWR is a curriculum tool to assist teachers to work with learners to build their knowledge and awareness on gender equality, social cohesion and respectful relationships. The study looks at the factors that constrained or enabled the provision of the programme, the professional readiness among teachers who delivered the programme, the impacts of the programme on peer relationships as well as teacher-learner relationships, students experiences of safety, fair treatment and violence, their help-seeking knowledge and skills, as well as teacher and student perceptions  about the usefulness of the CWR programme.

Long Description

These two reports will be published by the end of 2021. Building on this momentum, UNESCO plans to produce a technical brief, summarising key findings for an audience of policy-makers and practitioners in the education sector as well as recommendations based on the evidence from both studies.

Long Description

Objectives

The consultancy’s objective is to produce a technical brief, a short stand-alone document not exceeding 14 pages, for an audience of policy-makers and practitioners in the education sector, drawing on key findings of the two existing reports. The technical brief will articulate the critical role of teachers in the whole-education approach to school violence and bullying; present teachers’ needs for training and support that have been identified from the two above-mentioned studies; and provide evidence-based practical recommendations to optimize teachers’ role ensuring safe and non-violent learning environments.

Tasks

Specific tasks include:

1. Developing a concise and clear document based on the above-mentioned current reports of approximately 14 pages with a style and language that is non-technical, appealing, and easily understandable by education policy-makers, education practitioners, including school principals and teachers, as well as the general public when it comes to key messages.

The consultant will be expected to work closely with the concerned UNESCO staff to ensure the validity of key messages and analysis based on desk review findings throughout the report.

A tentative structrue outlining the content of the Technical Brief is provided in Annex. The current wording of titles is provisional to indicate the themes and content to be covered by different sections. The writer may propose a different structure that would make the document clearer, more appealing, and easier to read by an audience of non-researchers and other titles that clearly describe what is in each chapter and section. The structure should avoid any duplication between chapters and sections. The writer is also expected to propose different titles for the document, from which UNESCO will choose one.

2. Suggesting supportive infographic illustrations/visuals that will be created by a designer and used in the publication.
3. Proofreading the document to ensure that the UNESCO Style Manual is followed, and in particular that:

• Data included in the report are consistent;
• Infographic illustrations are easy to read and understand (the consultant shall provide suggestions for the use/improvement of the infographic illustrations while the design of these illustrations is not included in the tasks of this consultancy);
• Any quotations, if any, are checked for accuracy and rights questions;
• Proper names and place names are correct and correspond to UNESCO usage;
• Bibliographical references are correct, complete, in the right order, and the appropriate language.

The consultant will interact with UNESCO staff via virtual communications and expect rounds of comments and discussions before the brief report is considered final. Patience flexibility will be essential.