Training to Teach Science : Experimental Evidence from Argentina
This paper evaluates the learning impact of different teacher training methods using a random controlled trial implemented in 70 state schools in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A control group receiving standard teacher training was compared with two alt...
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2018
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/992241537378173492/Training-to-Teach-Science-Experimental-Evidence-from-Argentina http://hdl.handle.net/10986/30442 |
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okr-10986-304422021-12-10T15:10:58Z Training to Teach Science : Experimental Evidence from Argentina Albornoz, Facundo Anauati, Maria Victoria Furman, Melina Luzuriaga, Mariana Podesta, Maria Eugenia Taylor, Ines SCIENCE EDUCATION TEACHER TRAINING EXPERIMENTAL STUDY CURRICULUM SECONDARY EDUCATION This paper evaluates the learning impact of different teacher training methods using a random controlled trial implemented in 70 state schools in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A control group receiving standard teacher training was compared with two alternative treatment arms: providing a structured curriculum unit or receiving both the unit and weekly coaching. Following a 12-week intervention, there are substantial learning gains for students whose teachers were trained using structured curriculum units, as well as for those whose teachers received coaching (between 55 percent and 64 percent of a standard deviation more than those students in the control group). Coaching teachers does not appear to be cost-effective, as the unit cost per 0.1 standard deviation is more than twice the cost of using only the structured curriculum unit. However, additional coaching is particularly beneficial for inexperienced teachers with less than two years of teaching Science. Coaching teachers also showed specific gains for girls, who both learned and declared to enjoy science lessons more. Higher-performing students especially benefited from both interventions, with students from coached teachers performing particularly well in harder questions. Using structured curriculum units and providing coaching also affected teacher perceptions: teachers expressed that they enjoyed teaching Science more and taught more hours of Science, and that their students developed more skills. Results from a follow-up survey suggest persistent change in teacher practice, with the vast majority reporting using the structured curriculum unit one year after the intervention. 2018-09-25T17:25:05Z 2018-09-25T17:25:05Z 2018-09 Working Paper http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/992241537378173492/Training-to-Teach-Science-Experimental-Evidence-from-Argentina http://hdl.handle.net/10986/30442 English Policy Research Working Paper;No. 8594 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Latin America & Caribbean Argentina |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English |
| topic |
SCIENCE EDUCATION TEACHER TRAINING EXPERIMENTAL STUDY CURRICULUM SECONDARY EDUCATION |
| spellingShingle |
SCIENCE EDUCATION TEACHER TRAINING EXPERIMENTAL STUDY CURRICULUM SECONDARY EDUCATION Albornoz, Facundo Anauati, Maria Victoria Furman, Melina Luzuriaga, Mariana Podesta, Maria Eugenia Taylor, Ines Training to Teach Science : Experimental Evidence from Argentina |
| geographic_facet |
Latin America & Caribbean Argentina |
| relation |
Policy Research Working Paper;No. 8594 |
| description |
This paper evaluates the learning impact
of different teacher training methods using a random
controlled trial implemented in 70 state schools in Buenos
Aires, Argentina. A control group receiving standard teacher
training was compared with two alternative treatment arms:
providing a structured curriculum unit or receiving both the
unit and weekly coaching. Following a 12-week intervention,
there are substantial learning gains for students whose
teachers were trained using structured curriculum units, as
well as for those whose teachers received coaching (between
55 percent and 64 percent of a standard deviation more than
those students in the control group). Coaching teachers does
not appear to be cost-effective, as the unit cost per 0.1
standard deviation is more than twice the cost of using only
the structured curriculum unit. However, additional coaching
is particularly beneficial for inexperienced teachers with
less than two years of teaching Science. Coaching teachers
also showed specific gains for girls, who both learned and
declared to enjoy science lessons more. Higher-performing
students especially benefited from both interventions, with
students from coached teachers performing particularly well
in harder questions. Using structured curriculum units and
providing coaching also affected teacher perceptions:
teachers expressed that they enjoyed teaching Science more
and taught more hours of Science, and that their students
developed more skills. Results from a follow-up survey
suggest persistent change in teacher practice, with the vast
majority reporting using the structured curriculum unit one
year after the intervention. |
| format |
Working Paper |
| author |
Albornoz, Facundo Anauati, Maria Victoria Furman, Melina Luzuriaga, Mariana Podesta, Maria Eugenia Taylor, Ines |
| author_facet |
Albornoz, Facundo Anauati, Maria Victoria Furman, Melina Luzuriaga, Mariana Podesta, Maria Eugenia Taylor, Ines |
| author_sort |
Albornoz, Facundo |
| title |
Training to Teach Science : Experimental Evidence from Argentina |
| title_short |
Training to Teach Science : Experimental Evidence from Argentina |
| title_full |
Training to Teach Science : Experimental Evidence from Argentina |
| title_fullStr |
Training to Teach Science : Experimental Evidence from Argentina |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Training to Teach Science : Experimental Evidence from Argentina |
| title_sort |
training to teach science : experimental evidence from argentina |
| publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
| publishDate |
2018 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/992241537378173492/Training-to-Teach-Science-Experimental-Evidence-from-Argentina http://hdl.handle.net/10986/30442 |
| _version_ |
1764472010065313792 |