Helpdesk Report: Impact of Teacher Training on Students' Learning Outcomes
Abstract
Query
What is the impact of teacher training on students' learning outcomes?
Summary
While there is extensive literature on teacher quality, teacher education and training, most of it focuses on emphasising the extent of the problem, their importance, how they might be developed or delivered. A few others mention programmes that have been conducted in various countries. There is very little literature that focuses specifically on the impacts of teacher training on student's learning outcomes that are measurable.
Most of the studies that have looked at impacts of teacher training (e.g. Hanushek) are on developed countries and many not be relevant as the conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa are so different.
In terms of impact evaluations, teacher quality has been examined either through measurable teacher characteristics or through a 'fixed teacher effect'. The literature seems to be mixed in terms of whether it has impact on student achievement, though the dominant view seems to be that measurable teacher characteristics such as academic achievement, professional achievement and training do not seem to have any effect on student achievement.
The report also provides details of several studies on this topic, including reports from ActionAid and the Global Poverty Research Group.
Citation
Mahendra, S.; Baxter, S. Helpdesk Report: Impact of Teacher Training on Students’ Learning Outcomes. Human Development Resource Centre, UK (2011) 10 pp.
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