Mechanisms for increasing the accountability of teachers and schools in rural Pakistan to improve learning outcomes

Pakistan has extremely low learning levels and poor education service delivery is a driving factor. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) government has expressed a strong desire for evidence on how to design evaluation and oversight systems for the education sector, with the goal of improving learning. The...

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Main Authors: Asad, Saher, Habib, Masooma, Karachiwalla, Naureen, Kosec, Katrina, Leaver, Clare, ur Rehman, Attique
Format: Brief
Language:Inglés
Published: International Growth Centre 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143612
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author Asad, Saher
Habib, Masooma
Karachiwalla, Naureen
Kosec, Katrina
Leaver, Clare
ur Rehman, Attique
author_browse Asad, Saher
Habib, Masooma
Karachiwalla, Naureen
Kosec, Katrina
Leaver, Clare
ur Rehman, Attique
author_facet Asad, Saher
Habib, Masooma
Karachiwalla, Naureen
Kosec, Katrina
Leaver, Clare
ur Rehman, Attique
author_sort Asad, Saher
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Pakistan has extremely low learning levels and poor education service delivery is a driving factor. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) government has expressed a strong desire for evidence on how to design evaluation and oversight systems for the education sector, with the goal of improving learning. The government has two evaluation and oversight systems that should, in theory, incentivise teacher effort; in practice, they face substantial problems and are ineffective. First, teachers are evaluated annually via Performance Evaluation Report (PER) that feeds into promotion decisions. However, the PER is not teacher-specific, but general to the civil service, and accordingly does not properly measure aspects of teaching. Additionally, PERs are carried out by the headteacher, who – in Pakistani society – is hesitant to criticise colleagues. As a result, all teachers generally receive the same PER score, rendering scores meaningless. Second, a school inspection system exists, but inspections do not occur regularly and there is no guidance on how often or what inspectors should inspect, and how they should report findings. We will examine two interventions to improve teacher performance and learning outcomes. First, in a random subset of villages, we will introduce teacher-specific performance evaluations (PERs), to be carried out by an independent third party on an unannounced day. Second, in another random subset of villages, we will ensure that meaningful and informative school inspections occur by establishing clear guidelines and evaluation criteria. Teacher evaluation and school inspection outcomes will be linked to faster and slower promotions for teachers and headteachers, respectively. We will work with the government to decide what data to collect and how to provide feedback to the education department and school. In another random subset of villages, we will undertake both interventions. A control group will receive no interventions. This is the first study seeking to improve both teacher and school (i.e. headteacher) accountability. Literature shows that both levels are important. Teacher accountability reduces absenteeism and improves learning outcomes, and school accountability through improved monitoring has also been shown to improve school performance. However, it is not clear which level is more important in improving performance, nor whether improving accountability at both levels may provide higher value for money, suggesting complementarities. Knowing which levers and the ensuing rewards and sanctions are most effective (and cost-effective) is important both for education economics and for policymakers.
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spelling CGSpace1436122024-10-25T07:58:45Z Mechanisms for increasing the accountability of teachers and schools in rural Pakistan to improve learning outcomes Asad, Saher Habib, Masooma Karachiwalla, Naureen Kosec, Katrina Leaver, Clare ur Rehman, Attique rural communities learning capacity development schools teachers accountability Pakistan has extremely low learning levels and poor education service delivery is a driving factor. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) government has expressed a strong desire for evidence on how to design evaluation and oversight systems for the education sector, with the goal of improving learning. The government has two evaluation and oversight systems that should, in theory, incentivise teacher effort; in practice, they face substantial problems and are ineffective. First, teachers are evaluated annually via Performance Evaluation Report (PER) that feeds into promotion decisions. However, the PER is not teacher-specific, but general to the civil service, and accordingly does not properly measure aspects of teaching. Additionally, PERs are carried out by the headteacher, who – in Pakistani society – is hesitant to criticise colleagues. As a result, all teachers generally receive the same PER score, rendering scores meaningless. Second, a school inspection system exists, but inspections do not occur regularly and there is no guidance on how often or what inspectors should inspect, and how they should report findings. We will examine two interventions to improve teacher performance and learning outcomes. First, in a random subset of villages, we will introduce teacher-specific performance evaluations (PERs), to be carried out by an independent third party on an unannounced day. Second, in another random subset of villages, we will ensure that meaningful and informative school inspections occur by establishing clear guidelines and evaluation criteria. Teacher evaluation and school inspection outcomes will be linked to faster and slower promotions for teachers and headteachers, respectively. We will work with the government to decide what data to collect and how to provide feedback to the education department and school. In another random subset of villages, we will undertake both interventions. A control group will receive no interventions. This is the first study seeking to improve both teacher and school (i.e. headteacher) accountability. Literature shows that both levels are important. Teacher accountability reduces absenteeism and improves learning outcomes, and school accountability through improved monitoring has also been shown to improve school performance. However, it is not clear which level is more important in improving performance, nor whether improving accountability at both levels may provide higher value for money, suggesting complementarities. Knowing which levers and the ensuing rewards and sanctions are most effective (and cost-effective) is important both for education economics and for policymakers. 2020-10-01 2024-05-22T12:15:35Z 2024-05-22T12:15:35Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143612 en Open Access International Growth Centre Asad, Saher; Habib, Masooma; Karachiwalla, Naureen; Kosec, Katrina; Leaver, Clare; and ur Rehman, Attique. 2020. Mechanisms for increasing the accountability of teachers and schools in rural Pakistan to improve learning outcomes. IGC Policy Brief 37404. https://www.theigc.org/project/mechanisms-for-increasing-the-accountability-of-teachers-and-schools-in-rural-pakistan-to-improve-learning-outcomes/#outputs
spellingShingle rural communities
learning
capacity development
schools
teachers
accountability
Asad, Saher
Habib, Masooma
Karachiwalla, Naureen
Kosec, Katrina
Leaver, Clare
ur Rehman, Attique
Mechanisms for increasing the accountability of teachers and schools in rural Pakistan to improve learning outcomes
title Mechanisms for increasing the accountability of teachers and schools in rural Pakistan to improve learning outcomes
title_full Mechanisms for increasing the accountability of teachers and schools in rural Pakistan to improve learning outcomes
title_fullStr Mechanisms for increasing the accountability of teachers and schools in rural Pakistan to improve learning outcomes
title_full_unstemmed Mechanisms for increasing the accountability of teachers and schools in rural Pakistan to improve learning outcomes
title_short Mechanisms for increasing the accountability of teachers and schools in rural Pakistan to improve learning outcomes
title_sort mechanisms for increasing the accountability of teachers and schools in rural pakistan to improve learning outcomes
topic rural communities
learning
capacity development
schools
teachers
accountability
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143612
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