Publication: Supporting Teacher Autonomy to Improve Education Outcomes: Experimental Evidence from Brazil
Date
2020-08
ISSN
Published
2020-08
Author(s)
Piza, Caio
Zwager, Astrid
Ruzzante, Matteo
Dantas, Rafael
Loureiro, Andre
Abstract
What is the impact of greater teacher
autonomy on student learning? This paper provides
experimental evidence from a program in Brazil. The program
supported teachers, through a combination of technical
assistance and a small grant, to autonomously develop and
implement an innovative project aimed at engaging their
students. The findings show that the program improved
student learning by 0.15 standard deviation and grade
passing by 13 percent in sixth grade, a critical year of
transition from primary to lower-secondary education. The
paper explores two mechanisms: teacher turnover and student
socio-emotional skills. Teacher turnover is reduced by 20.7
percent, and the impacts on student outcomes are
concentrated in the schools with the largest reductions. The
findings also indicate positive impacts on conscientiousness
and extroversion among the students. The results suggest
that increasing the autonomy of public servants can improve
service delivery, even in a low-capacity context.
Citation
“Piza, Caio; Zwager, Astrid; Ruzzante, Matteo; Dantas, Rafael; Loureiro, Andre. 2020. Supporting Teacher Autonomy to Improve Education Outcomes: Experimental Evidence from Brazil. Policy Research Working Paper;No. 9371. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34419 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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