The management of ethnic communities' organizations partnership for teacher preparation in Myanmar

Abstract

Organizations partnership is a key to sustainable development in promoting effective education achieving common goals and solving problems with collaboration. With the tremendous political changes and considering equity among the ethnic groups, ethnic communities' organizations (ECOs) in Myanmar have promoted joint ventures in solving teacher shortage and education provision need. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the management process of the ethnic communities' organizations partnership for teacher preparation. The research was carried out through document reviews, observation, and interviews with 16 key informants from the Eastern Burma Community Schooling (EBCS). The research findings were interpreted based on the five variables shaping interagency partnership in terms of: climate, processes, people, policies, and resources. The study argued about the strategies of ECOs' partnership management process and the education provision concerning teacher training programs for the local volunteer teachers. The study found that climate was the key influence for ECOs partnership, communication was an integral part of the processes, commitment of the people who were involved was necessary for effectiveness in building partnership, policy making partnership strategy changes, and the initiative products of partnership became resources and sustained the relationship. The researcher recommended that ECOs partnership should move forward into a nationwide partnership with the certainty and comprehension of partnership strategies to provide adequate solutions to the issues of inefficiencies among teachers.