Training to Teach Science : Experimental Evidence from Argentina

Albornoz, Facundo ; Anauati, Maria Victoria ; Furman, Melina ; Luzuriaga, Mariana ; Podesta, Maria Eugenia ; Taylor, Ines

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: SCIENCE EDUCATION;    TEACHER TRAINING;    EXPERIMENTAL STUDY;    CURRICULUM;    SECONDARY EDUCATION;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-8594
RP-ID  :  WPS8594

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This paper evaluates the learning impactof different teacher training methods using a randomcontrolled trial implemented in 70 state schools in BuenosAires, Argentina. A control group receiving standard teachertraining was compared with two alternative treatment arms:providing a structured curriculum unit or receiving both theunit and weekly coaching. Following a 12-week intervention,there are substantial learning gains for students whoseteachers were trained using structured curriculum units, aswell as for those whose teachers received coaching (between55 percent and 64 percent of a standard deviation more thanthose students in the control group). Coaching teachers doesnot appear to be cost-effective, as the unit cost per 0.1standard deviation is more than twice the cost of using onlythe structured curriculum unit. However, additional coachingis particularly beneficial for inexperienced teachers withless than two years of teaching Science. Coaching teachersalso showed specific gains for girls, who both learned anddeclared to enjoy science lessons more. Higher-performingstudents especially benefited from both interventions, withstudents from coached teachers performing particularly wellin harder questions. Using structured curriculum units andproviding coaching also affected teacher perceptions:teachers expressed that they enjoyed teaching Science moreand taught more hours of Science, and that their studentsdeveloped more skills. Results from a follow-up surveysuggest persistent change in teacher practice, with the vastmajority reporting using the structured curriculum unit oneyear after the intervention.