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Training to Teach Science: Experimental Evidence from Argentina

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

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Authors

Victoria Anauati

Melina Furman

Maria Luzuriaga

Maria Eugenia Podesta

Ines Taylor



Abstract

We evaluate 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% and 64% of a standard deviation more than those students in the control group). Coaching teachers does not appear to be a 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 2 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, 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.

Citation

Albornoz, F., Anauati, V., Furman, M., Luzuriaga, M., Podesta, M. E., & Taylor, I. (2020). Training to Teach Science: Experimental Evidence from Argentina. World Bank Economic Review, 34(2), 393-417. https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhy010

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 2, 2018
Online Publication Date Feb 13, 2019
Publication Date Jun 1, 2020
Deposit Date Apr 4, 2018
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal The World Bank Economic Review
Print ISSN 0258-6770
Electronic ISSN 1564-698X
Publisher Oxford University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 34
Issue 2
Pages 393-417
DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhy010
Keywords Economics and Econometrics; Accounting; Development; Finance
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/908321
Publisher URL https://academic.oup.com/wber/advance-article/doi/10.1093/wber/lhy010/5318602
Additional Information This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in World Bank Economic Review following peer review. The version of record Facundo Albornoz, María Victoria Anauati, Melina Furman, Mariana Luzuriaga, María Eugenia Podestá, Inés Taylor, Training to Teach Science: Experimental Evidence from Argentina, The World Bank Economic Review, , lhy010, https://doi.org/10.1093/wber/lhy010 is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/wber/advance-article/doi/10.1093/wber/lhy010/5318602

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