Like other education systems across the world, schools in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) are facing a teacher shortage. However, FSM’s shortage is magnified by a mostly rural population with high rates of mobility and outmigration. To address this challenge, FSM education leaders seek proven ways to retain existing teachers and hire new ones, while ensuring high-quality instruction in all classrooms. Recognizing that these educators possess a wide range of backgrounds, experience levels, and training—which can affect the quality of classroom teaching—in 2022 FSM leaders partnered with REL Pacific to improve teacher effectiveness by developing state-specific, evidence-based instructional models. Read about REL Pacific’s partnership with FSM.
A cohesive instructional model can improve the quality of lessons and build consistency in teacher performance across schools and systems1 by providing a clear, consistent framework that defines high-quality instruction and offers direction for systemic professional learning for educators. Read about using instructional models for student and teacher success.
One of the benefits of a holistic, evidence-based instructional model is that it is equally functional for new and experienced teachers. Those teachers who already have established and familiar approaches to teaching can map their knowledge onto the new model whereas new teachers can use the model as a guide for structuring lessons across all content areas. Using a simple framework strengthens lesson flow and allows teachers to clearly demonstrate their practices to administrators who are documenting evidence of best practices. As a result, all educators in a school or across a system have a shared language to discuss and think about instruction.
In Pohnpei, one of FSM’s four states, education leaders are working towards their goal of improved student learning outcomes through the development and piloting of the state-specific instructional model. Now in a multi-year pilot phase, the Pohnpei Department of Education (PDOE)’s new instructional model outlines the structure (“how”) and purpose (“why”) of classroom lessons, simplifying processes for teachers and administrators seeking to implement best practices in teaching.
This systemwide change aligns central office staff, school leaders, and teachers across all PDOE schools, offering a unified approach that reflects the contexts and perspectives of PDOE’s students and educators.
Customizing a model for Pohnpei’s context
PDOE leaders developed a state-specific instructional model through training and coaching sessions with REL Pacific, drawing from a research base that includes existing instructional models2.
"The instructional model builds on what we already have and clarifies what teachers should be doing when they plan."
—Benjie Philip, PDOE Chief of Curriculum and Instruction
The PDOE instructional model was developed with Chiefs, curriculum specialists, and principals with relevant research and local context in mind. It contains four key components that are framed from a learner’s perspective: Engage Me, Show Me, Help Me, and Let Me.
- The learning progression begins with Engage Me, in which teachers establish a positive tone by welcoming students. Teachers use questions and activities to generate student interest in the lesson’s content.
- In Show Me, teachers introduce and demonstrate the new content in the lesson.
- In Help Me, teachers provide students with opportunities to safely practice what they just learned to solidify their understanding. Teachers also provide individualized support, as needed.
- The final lesson component, Let Me, allows students to evaluate their understanding of the content, through activities that provide them with opportunities to demonstrate and reflect on what they learned.
These four PDOE instructional model components help guide teachers and students all the way through a lesson. The model also provides structure for principals and other administrators who now have a clear set of “look-fors” to observe in classrooms so that they can provide affirming and constructive feedback for teachers.
Piloting the instructional model
PDOE first piloted the new instructional model in 2023 after identifying pilot schools across the state that represented each of Pohnpei’s main geographic municipalities.
The department sequenced the implementation, rolling out instructional model components individually during the first half of the school year. Beginning in September, teachers trained on one component a month, starting with Engage Me. The following month, the previously introduced component was monitored in classrooms to support teachers, while the next component was introduced. Pilot school principals and central office leaders reviewed progress, resolved concerns, and created an all-school pilot plan for PDOE during sessions with REL Pacific.
"As we have taught and implemented (the instructional model) over time, and monitored the different parts, all of my teachers are now implementing everything well."
—Anson Abraham, Pilot School
Building on the success and momentum of the initial pilot, all public schools across Pohnpei began piloting the model in school year 2024/25, following a similar progression. Schools also gathered and responded to observation data throughout implementation. Additionally, principals and campuses from the initial pilot year supported the new implementers by allowing neighboring principals to come and observe pilot year one teachers, offering advice from lessons-learned at their school, and sometimes collaborating on planning.
Highlights and lessons learned
The development and implementation of an instructional model can be a large and initially challenging task because it encompasses the instruction taking place in all schools. PDOE educators and staff recognized that it was essential to define the scope, parameters, and terms of the project early on. While co-developing these program components as a team, PDOE focused on ensuring that the central office created and maintained clear and consistent messaging about the instructional model, connecting the new framework with existing knowledge and practices of educators across the state. The development and piloting process for the instructional model fostered an ongoing constructive conversation within PDOE around best practices in instruction, staff capacity, and a cycle of continuous improvement that will benefit Pohnpei’s teachers and students.
1 Reigeluth, C. M., & An, Y. (2021). Merging the instructional design process with learner-centered theory: The Holistic 4D Model. Routledge.
2 Brybee, R. W., Taylor, J. A., Gardner, A., Van Scotter, P., Carlson Powell, J., Westbrook, A., & Landes, N. (2006). The BSCS 5E instructional model: Origins, effectiveness, and applications. BSCS. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242363914_The_BSCS_5E_Instructional_Model_Origins_Effectiveness_and_Applications
Gagné, R. M., Wager, W. W., Golas, K. C., Keller, J. M., & Russell, J. D. (2005). Principles of instructional design. Performance Improvement, 2, 44–46
Webb, S., Massey, D., Goggans, M., & Flajole, K. (2019). Thirty-five years of the gradual release of responsibility: Scaffolding toward complex and responsive teaching. The Reading Teacher, 73(1), 75–83. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1799
