Innovations Associate at Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL)

Role Purpose

• The Associate-Innovations will play a crucial role in driving the continuous improvement of instructional design and learning outcomes within TaRL Africa's programs. This position acts as the "eyes and ears" of the Innovations team, providing objective, regular feedback on teacher experience and pupil outcomes. The Innovations Associate will support the design, execution, and evaluation of Innovation initiatives – new ideas to further accelerate learning outcomes. This role is crucial for identifying, designing, and rigorously testing novel pedagogical approaches and learning materials. The Innovations Associate will play a key role in ensuring that TaRL's pedagogical approaches and content are at the forefront of evidence-based practices, responsive to diverse contexts, and scalable for widespread impact.

Major roles and responsibilities:

Classroom Observations & Pedagogical Feedback

• Conduct regular observations of TaRL lessons across program sites and complete structured observation tools.
• Assess lesson fidelity, instructional quality, student engagement, and early learning outcomes.
• Provide timely feedback to the Innovations and Program Design & Pedagogy teams, contributing to real-time improvements in lesson and material design.

Support Innovation Design & Testing                                                                    

• Pilot and support the implementation of new lesson plans, instructional tools, and learning materials.                                                               
• Offer rapid feedback based on classroom realities to strengthen the design and usability of Innovations.                                                                   
• Collaborate with the Innovations Coordinator during the academic planning process and ideation stages. 
• Contribute to the exploration and testing of new technologies or alternative delivery methods that could enhance teaching and learning.

Field-Level Learning & Insights

• Maintain a strong understanding of classroom and school realities through regular visits and teacher engagement.
• Gather and document feedback from teachers, school leaders, and local education officials to inform central design decisions.
• Conduct interviews and informal conversations to uncover challenges, successes, and potential areas for adaptation or scaling.

Program Enhancement & Pedagogical Support

• Translate insights from the field and research findings into clear, actionable recommendations for the Program Design and Pedagogy team.
• Draft memos, learning notes, and proposals that guide improvement of lessons, instructional approaches, and implementation processes.
• Provide expert input on the pedagogical integrity of content, ensuring materials are aligned with learning goals, support teacher success, and promote pupil achievement.

Any other duties as may be assigned by your line manager.

Requirements:

• A minimum of 3 years of significant, relevant experience as a teacher, field researcher, or instructional designer in an educational setting, with a proven track record of driving continuous improvement in primary school education.
• Demonstrated experience in collecting qualitative and/or quantitative data – understanding the importance of the validity and reliability of data for decision-making.
• Strong knowledge of current learning developments, applications, and their impact on teaching and learning methodologies.
• A keen eye for observing others. The very act of visiting schools and noticing 'What works and what fails' must be intellectually interesting to you – a daily puzzle you want to solve each day.
• Be an effective writer, able to communicate what you see and hear and able to communicate your viewpoint clearly.
• Be an effective interviewer – able to get teachers, parents, pupils, and school leaders to speak honestly to you.
• Have a bias towards action and relentless focus on achievement for yourself and others.
• Be flexible and love to work in a school-based, dynamic, and fast changing environment.