Reforms to Increase Teacher Effectiveness in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review

Student learning in developing countries is persistently poor. Strong and consistent international evidence shows that teaching quality is probably the single most important institutional influence on student outcomes, with... [ view full abstract ]

Student learning in developing countries is persistently poor. Strong and consistent international evidence shows that teaching quality is probably the single most important institutional influence on student outcomes, with several studies strongly endorsing the need for interventions that focus on teachers and teaching quality. Effective education systems fundamentally build on good governance, robust public financial management and, inevitably, the effective management of teachers (including recruiting, training and deploying them) . The major challenge of increasing teacher effectiveness lies in recruiting and training competent teachers and significantly improving the effectiveness of teachers already in post. There is also a strong sense that successful development involves taking good ideas and practice ‘to scale’. This study is a systematic review of the literature that investigates all these aspects. The review objectives will be addressed through answering the following review questions: What is the evidence on the impacts of reforms/interventions of education systems at scale to increase teacher effectiveness on: the quality of teaching and on learning outcomes in low and middle income countries? What is the evidence on the relationship between educational reforms/interventions for improving teacher effectiveness at scale and the quality of teaching and learning outcomes in low and middle income countries? And where reforms/interventions to education systems to increase teacher effectiveness at scale have occurred, what is the evidence on how technical, financial and political barriers have been overcome?