doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1596/40369

Person:
Yarrow, Noah

Education Global Practice, Latin America and the Caribbean, The World Bank

Departments

Education Global Practice, Latin America and the Caribbean, The World Bank

Last updated: April 29, 2024

Biography

Noah Yarrow joined the World Bank in 2010 as a part of the World Bank’s Education Global Practice, Latin America and the Caribbean. He is based in Washington, DC, and works on system capacity, education technology, and learning-quality issues with a special focus on refugee and IDP education. He previously worked on operations and research in the East Asia and Pacific and Middle East and North Africa regions. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked in the Russian Federation and Asia for agencies such as the Education Development Center and the International Committee of the Red Cross, in addition to teaching for several years at the primary and secondary levels. He holds master’s degrees in development management from the London School of Economics and in adolescent education from Pace University.

Full item page

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 16

Fixing the Foundation: Teachers and Basic Education in East Asia and Pacific
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-09-20) Afkar, Rythia; Béteille, Tara; Breeding, Mary E.; Linden, Toby; Mason, Andrew D.; Mattoo, Aaditya; Pfutze, Tobias; Sondergaard, Lars M.; Yarrow, Noah
Countries in middle-income East Asia and the Pacific were already experiencing serious learning deficits prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-related school disruptions have only made things worse. Learning poverty -- defined as the percentage of 10-year-olds who cannot read and understand an age-appropriate text -- is as high as 90 percent in several countries. Several large Southeast Asian countries consistently perform well below expectations on adolescent learning assessments. This report examines key factors affecting student learning in the region, with emphasis on the central role of teachers and teaching quality. It also analyzes the role education technologies, which came into widespread use during the pandemic, and examines the political economy of education reform. The report presents recommendations on how countries can strengthen teaching to improve learning and, in doing so, can enhance productivity, growth, and future development in the region.
Use of Assistive Education Technologies to Support Children with Visual and Hearing Difficulties in the East Asia and Pacific Region
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-10-20) Yarrow, Noah; Song, Chuyu; Bhardwaj, Riaz; Spiezio, Mario
Evidence on the uptake, use, and impact of EdTech at scale on participation and learning among students with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries remains very limited. This report presents findings on access to EdTech for children with difficulties in hearing and vision in middle-income countries (MICs) in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region using three approaches: (i) a systematic regional literature review; (ii) interviews with 17 actors from the education technology private sector across the EAP region; and (iii) case studies from four countries: Vietnam, the Philippines, China, and Tonga. The main findings from the literature review are that most EdTech solutions in EAP MICs were applied at very small scale, with a focus on the tech testing stage, and only two of the 13 identified studies from a sample of 1,661 studies measured changes in student learning outcomes. The private sector interviews indicate qualitatively that most actors in this space are unaware of the needs of children with vision and hearing disabilities, and that other challenges such as profitability and general inequalities related to access to devices and high-speed internet receive the most attention. The case studies report no examples of national deployment of any assistive education technology, though there are multiple examples of small-scale digital approaches developed by individual schools or NGOs and shared locally or, in two cases, regionally. In looking at country contexts for the case studies, we found a lack of publicly available data on spending for assistive EdTech in EAP, a lack of data on (a) prevalence of disabilities among the student population, (b) student learning, and (c) student persistence in higher grades.
Improving Teachers and School Leadership in Indonesia: Impact Evaluation of Guru Penggerak Program at the Primary Level
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-04-29) Khairina, Noviandri; Yarrow, Noah; Cilliers, Jacobus; Dini, Indah
The most significant recent education reform in Indonesia is Merdeka Belajar, officially translated as emancipated learning, which aims to transform the education system into having a more student-centered approach and promote lifelong learning. The reform places a great emphasis on teacher competence, independence, freedom, and ability to teach based on student’s needs, and aims to delegate more autonomy to teachers and schools for enhanced student-centered learning. The program includes many components, one of which is teacher training. The World Bank is supporting the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (MoECRT) in its ongoing education reform effort. As part of this support, and after comprehensive discussions and careful deliberation, it was agreed that the World Bank would conduct an evaluation study specifically for the Guru Penggerak program given its importance for improving education quality in Indonesia.
Using Education Technology to Improve K-12 Student Learning in East Asia Pacific: Promises and Limitations
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-10-20) Yarrow, Noah; Shen, Sharon; Alyono, Kevin
We use global and regional data to show that it is possible to use EdTech to improve student learning in EAP. We present evidence that the broadcast/dual teacher model often supports student learning gains, while other approaches, including assistive EdTech, show promise. Others, such as e-readers, remote teacher-training and AI interventions have yet to demonstrate positive impacts on student learning at scale in the EAP context. Based on evidence from the EAP region and globally, we show that as the scale of EdTech interventions increases, the effect on learning generally decreases. The largest impacts tend to come from smaller-scale interventions conducted by non-governmental institutions rather than large-scale interventions by governments. We find that as the use of EdTech expands in the EAP region, it tends to increase existing learning inequalities, since not all families and schools are able to pay for, access, and use it effectively. In this companion paper to the EAP regional flagship “Fixing the Foundation: Teachers and Basic Education in East Asia and Pacific”, we present the results of a regional survey of middle-income countries showing that, contrary to available evidence, most education decision makers believe that EdTech was effective in supporting student learning during COVID-19 school closures. We recommend several evidence-based EdTech interventions in EAP including the “broadcast” or dual–teacher model, and call for improved approaches for future research that consider scale, dosage and heterogeneity of impact to evaluate EdTech interventions.
What I Really Want: Policy Maker Views on Education in East Asia Pacific
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-10-17) Cahu, Paul; Yarrow, Noah; Breeding, Mary E.; Afkar, Rythia
This paper reports the views and perceptions of randomly selected education policy makers in the East Asia Pacific region, based on surveys of 651 senior public officials in 14 middle-income countries. The findings show that officials tend to prioritize increasing secondary school completion over improving learning quality, and they severely underestimate learning poverty and do so by a larger margin than officials in other countries. Officials were most likely to cite system capacity as the primary constraint to improving learning. The findings show that officials’ support for gender equality and disability inclusion is high. Interviewed officials tend to oppose violence against students and prefer to invest in in-service teacher training or early-grade reading compared to other options, such as EdTech or inclusion for students with disabilities. This mix of alignment and misalignment between policy makers’ goals and the stated goals of development partners can inform future engagement in policy dialogue, analysis, and information campaigns.
EdTech in Indonesia: Ready for Take-off?
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-05-01) Bhardwaj, Riaz; Cali, Massimiliano; Yarrow, Noah
This EdTech landscape survey provides an overview of the Indonesian startup ecosystem in EdTech, drawing upon three main sources of information: publicly available data, information collected via an online-questionnaire sent to 60 EdTech players—representing the vast majority of the main players—and 18 structured, in-depth face-to-face interviews from December 2018 through February 2019, as well as a group consultation with preliminary findings and recommendations. The findings reveal that the Indonesian EdTech sector is starting to catch up with the global frontier, and with growth of similar platforms, such as Harukaedu (a platform offering online university degrees), Ruangguru (an interactive e-learning platform for K-12 students in Indonesia) and Cakap by Squline (a tutoring platform for language learning), but overall the sector is still in its infancy. This early stage of development applies to evidence as well; there is almost no rigorous information available about the quality or effectiveness of the products and services offered in the Indonesian EdTech market, something that is true of many EdTech markets globally. Indonesian EdTech products generally aim at helping students with learning and upskilling, helping educators with student management, communication and teaching, and helping educational institutions with administration. For example, companies such as Ruangguru, Zenius and Quipper provide self-directed e-learning content, interactive learning platforms, and study tools that help students to expedite the learning process, along with interactive online services that help students with theirassignments and test preparation. Companies such as Arsa Kids, Digikids and Educa Studio develop gamebased and blended learning experiences, including interactive storybooks and educational mobile apps, to help improve early childhood educators' effectiveness.
Inclusion in Indonesia's Education Sector: A Subnational Review of Gender Gaps and Children with Disabilities
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2020-06) Surbakti, Soedarti; Cooper, Rachel; Afkar, Rythia; Yarrow, Noah
This study seeks to examine gender gaps and disability issues in education in Indonesia, and to suggest policy actions as well as future analytical and operational work to address these differences. Field visits were conducted to uncover drivers of gender differences, as well as issues of social inclusion, and to explore policy approaches to improve learning outcomes and educational achievement for all children. Secondary data analysis shows that Indonesia has demonstrated great progress on gender parity in education; however, the national averages mask important variations at the subnational level, including variations of significant male and female disadvantage between and within provinces. Women are still underrepresented in school and government leadership positions, as well as the workforce overall. Despite women making up the majority of the teaching workforce, men dominate the management and leadership roles in schools. The study also reveals significant challenges and offers policy recommendations to ensure inclusivity in education for children with disabilities.
The Digital Future of Teacher Training in Indonesia: What’s Next?
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-02-01) Khairina, Noviandri; Cilliers, Jacobus; Dini, Indah; Yarrow, Noah
This report reflects on the Indonesia’s online teacher training ecosystem based on unique data collected from both teachers and providers during the COVID-19 period. A detailed mapping of the eight largest providers of online teacher training in Indonesia was conducted, covering 25 programs. We find that the majority of programs are short in duration and focus on digital literacy skills and remote learning. Training programs were mostly provided using online lectures, few provided individual coaching, while none provided opportunities for personalized learning. Second, we conducted a nationally representative phone survey of 435 primary and junior secondary teachers spanning 30 provinces across Indonesia (66 percent of whom are female teachers). The teacher survey was conducted between February and March 2021 and covered teachers under both the Ministry of Education, Research, and Technology (MoECRT) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA). We find that 44 percent of teachers participated in online learning during the pandemic, and that three quarters of these teachers had never participated in online training prior to the pandemic. Many training participants reported challenges in implementing what they learned from online training. Most of the teachers who participated (88 percent) would like to continue receiving training online even after the pandemic ends. These results suggest that demand for online training is expected to persist, but more can be done to improve their quality.
Expectations and Aspirations: A New Framework for Education in the Middle East and North Africa
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2020) Krafft, Caroline; El-Kogali, Safaa El Tayeb; Yarrow, Noah; El-Kogali, Safaa El Tayeb; Krafft, Caroline; Adil, Mariam Nusrat; Audah, Mohammed; Bend, May; Capek, Maja; Demas, Angela; Gregory, Laura; Kheyfets, Igor; Music, Almedina; Towfighian, Samira Nikaein; Prouty, Bob; Quota, Manal Bakur N.; Salmi, Jamil; Sedmik, Elisabeth; Sundararaman, Venkatesh; Wang, Lianqin; Yarrow, Noah
Education has a large untapped potential to contribute to human capital, well-being, and wealth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It had been at the heart of the region’s history and civilizations for centuries. The region invested heavily in education for decades but has not been able to reap the benefits of its investments. Despite series of reforms, the region remained stuck in a low learning – low skills level. There are four key sets of tensions that are holding back education in the MENA region. These tensions: Credentials and skills, discipline and inquiry, control and autonomy, and tradition and modernity are shaped by society and are reflected in schools and classrooms. If not addressed, MENA will continue to operate below its potential. Addressing these tensions and unleashing the potential of education requires a new framework with a three-pronged approach: A concerted push for learning that starts early for all children regardless of background, with qualified and motivated educators that leverages technology and uses modern approaches and monitors learning. It also requires a stronger pull for skills by all stakeholders in the labor market and society and involves coordinated multi-system reforms within and outside the education system. Finally, it requires a new pact for education at a national level with a unified vision, shared responsibilities and accountabilities. Education is everyone’s business and not just the responsibility of the education system. The push, pull, pact framework offers an opportunity for the MENA region to charge forward and reclaim its heritage of a learned region and meet the expectations and aspirations of its people. The current situation in MENA requires a renewed focus on education not just as a national priority for economic growth and social development but as a national emergency for stability, peace and prosperity.
Rewrite the Future: How Indonesia's Education System Can Overcome the Losses from the COVID-19 Pandemic and Raise Learning Outcomes for All
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-09) Afkar, Rythia; Yarrow, Noah
The policy note presents an updated estimate of learning loss due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) -related school closures in Indonesia, taking into account the Government of Indonesia~^!!^s mitigating measures. Our revised estimates show that school closures precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic could result in a total loss of between 0.9 and 1.2 years of learning adjusted schooling and on average between 25 and 35 points on student’s PISA reading scores. The extent of learning loss is determined more by the effectiveness of distance learning than it is by the duration of school closure in the time period investigated. We identify a reduction of between 408 US dollars and 578 US dollars per student in future annual earnings equivalent to a present value loss in lifetime earnings for all students of between 253 and 359 billion US dollars, or 24 to 34 percent of 2020 GDP. To accelerate learning and to recover some of these losses in the short-term, schools and teachers can assess what each of their students has been able to learn while schools were closed and use differentiated plans to support each child to accelerate their learning. In the longer term, the Government can support the increased resilience of education service delivery to protect against future shocks from pandemics, climate change and other threats.