How the TAMAM project advances teacher leadership in the Arab region

The TAMAM Project is a research and development initiative at the American University of Beirut that empowers educators to lead change and foster innovation within schools, setting a remarkable example of educational transformation, which closely aligns with UNESCO’s work on advancing teacher development. TAMAM’s name derives from its purpose: it is an acronym from the initials of the Arabic translation of the phrase “school-based reform” [Al-Tatweer Al-Mustanid ila Al-Madrasa]. 

TAMAM collaborates with educators, researchers, and policy makers to create context-specific strategies in the Arab region. It connects teachers across 79 schools in nine countries across the region – Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Sudan – leading to 130 local improvement projects over 18 years and benefiting more than 1,500 educational practitioners. 

In this interview, we take a closer look at their efforts to transform education in the Arab region and explore the impact of receiving the UNESCO-Hamdan Prize on their work.