Publication: Effective Teacher Training in Low-Income Countries: The Power of Observational Learning Research
Date
2012-11-01
ISSN
Published
2012-11-01
Author(s)
Abadzi, Helen
Abstract
The Education for All (EFA) initiative
depends on students being taught by suitably and
sufficiently trained teachers. But time-on-task studies
conducted in low-income countries show that relatively
little time is being spent on instruction, including the
critical teaching of reading. Teachers may be absent often
and may avoid teaching when in school (Abadzi 2007). They
may engage with the few students who can do the work,
neglecting the rest (Llambiri 2006, Abadzi and Llambiri
2011). They may fail to use textbooks even when they exist
and spend class time copying on the blackboard. The same
issues affect supervisors and principals (Abadzi 2006). As a
result, students may graduate or drop out illiterate. The
investments in teacher training are potentially valuable,
but need to be linked to results. Thus far evidence is
limited. Preservice training often lasts 6-9 months compared
to 3-4 years in higher-income countries and may be
insufficient to remedy students' academic deficits or
teach them how to teach. The poor results have disappointed
governments and donors. The persistent teacher training
problems worldwide make it imperative to seek new means for
changing behaviors, particularly for poorly paid teachers
with limited education. This must be done relatively quickly
and efficiently so that teachers can impart basic skills to
their students. Since feasible educational methods seem to
have been exhausted, it is useful to look for solutions in
the field that studies behavior. Even for better educated
teachers in lower-income countries, the capacity for
formulating and solving complex problems such as those
presented in teaching real classrooms may be limited
compared to some 'ideal' model (Feldon 2007).
Citation
“Abadzi, Helen. 2012. Effective Teacher Training in Low-Income Countries: The Power of Observational Learning Research. GPE Working Paper Series on Learning;No. 11. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/26820 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”