p- ISSN: 2708-2113 e-ISSN: 2708-3608 L-ISSN: 2708-2113 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gesr.2021(VI-IV).07 Vol. VI, No. IV (Fall 2021) Pages: 64– 72 DOI: 10.31703/gesr.2021(VI-IV).07 Citation: Durrani, R., Akram, H., & Kanwal, S. (2021). Educating Dropouts in Rural Areas: Capacity Building of Teacher Trainers. Global Educational Studies Review, VI(IV), 64-72. https://doi.org/10.31703/gesr.2021(VI-IV).07 Educating Dropouts in Rural Areas: Capacity Building of Teacher Trainers Rukhsana Durrani * | Humaira Akram † | Shamsa Kanwal ‡ Abstract: This study was designed to explore the effectiveness of training, which was arranged for the capacity building of trainers of teachers. These trainers were further responsible for the training of teachers who were teaching dropped out girls in the rural areas of Pakistan. This capacity-building training consisted of the trainers' professional development and subject knowledge enhancement. The training sessions were monitoring and evaluation, communication skills, Gender and protection, adult psychology, and teaching techniques of language, science, and mathematics of elementary level of education of dropped out learners. All 125 trainers were selected for obtaining the responses. It was mixed-method research, and data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. The data results revealed that the training workshop sessions remained very fruitful for trainers, and it increased their learning about the teaching profession and teaching to dropped out students in marginalized areas. Key Words: Dropped Out, Education, Capacity Building, Trainer Training Introduction Training and capacity building of teachers plays a vital role in enhancing students' learning and classroom practices, and it contributes positively to the school's overall progress as it refines the teaching pedagogy and brings proficiency in the mastery of the subject. According to Imig and Imig (2007), "nothing is more vital to a learner's educational accomplishment than a highly trained educator." The capacity building of teachers is essential to tackle not only classroom problems but also let teachers aware of the emerging trends in teaching-learning (Hatam, Iqbal & Habibunnabi, 2016). Capacity building of teachers is directly linked with their professional development and improvement of teachers' classroom practices. Dropout is a universal problem, and around 263 young children of school-going age are out of school. Pakistan, a developing country, is one of those countries facing this problem, and about 7 million children do not have entree to primary * Lecturer, EDE & ETE-Allama Iqbal open University Islamabad, Pakistan. Email: rukhsana.durrani@aiou.edu.pk † Teaching & Research Associate, International Islamic University Islamabad, Pakistan. ‡ Field Coordinator, Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad, Pakistan. education in which the rate of girls is higher compared to the boys (Haq, 2013). The role of a teacher is critical in restricting the rate of dropped out at the elementary level of education. In this regard, training and enhancing teachers' capacity about the teaching profession and dealing with students is essential as it positively impacts the retention of students (Harwell, 2003). The capacity building of teachers has a close relationship with the learners' dropped outs rate, so in this regard, training was arranged for the trainers of teachers (Master trainers) who were responsible for the training of teachers of dropped out students under the educational program of dropped out learners. The primary purpose of the training was to enhance the capacity of teachers through master trainers as it was difficult to approach all 9000 teachers who were teaching to dropped out learners in the far-flung areas of Punjab province. Therefore, the master trainers were selected from these areas purposefully and