What’s at Play? Unpacking the Relationship between Teaching and Learning

Industry Overview - The report focuses on the education sector, specifically primary education in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), analyzing the relationship between teaching quality and student learning outcomes [8][12] - The study leverages data from the World Bank's Global Education Policy Dashboard (GEPD), which covers 13 education systems across LMICs, including countries like Ethiopia, Pakistan, Peru, and Sierra Leone [33][34] - The report highlights the persistent learning crisis in LMICs, with 57% of children in these countries unable to read and understand a simple text by age 10, and even higher rates in Sub-Saharan Africa (86%) [12][13] Key Findings on Teaching and Learning - Teacher pedagogical skills, as measured by the Teach Primary tool, are positively correlated with student learning outcomes, particularly in literacy [8][21] - Teachers with better content knowledge, especially in mathematics, significantly improve student performance, with a 1-standard-deviation increase in teacher content knowledge leading to a 0.2 standard deviation increase in student learning [24][25] - Teaching practices that foster student engagement, such as play-based and child-centered approaches, are highly predictive of better literacy outcomes [8][62] Teacher Support and Quality - Teachers in LMICs often lack adequate support, with only 33% of teachers having a bachelor's degree and 23% holding a master's degree [39] - Teacher absence rates are high, with students receiving only about half of the scheduled teaching time due to teacher absenteeism, significantly impacting learning outcomes [28] - Effective teacher support systems, such as practical training, mentoring, and feedback, are crucial for improving pedagogical practices and student learning [14][71] Policy Implications - The report emphasizes the importance of structured pedagogy and practical teacher training programs to improve teaching quality and student learning outcomes [21][71] - Instructional leadership, including classroom observations and feedback, is critical for identifying and addressing teaching challenges, yet only 58% of teachers report discussing observation results and 54% receive feedback [73] - Policies should focus on improving teacher recruitment standards, providing in-service training, and ensuring that teachers have access to necessary resources and support [75][76] Data and Methodology - The GEPD uses a combination of school surveys, teacher assessments, and classroom observations to provide a holistic view of the education system [29][30] - The study employs machine learning models, including Conditional Inference Forest (CIF) and Random Forest (RF), to identify key variables predictive of student learning outcomes [85][87] - The PLAY tool, developed to measure student engagement in learning, was applied in three countries (Ethiopia, Peru, and Sierra Leone) to assess the impact of playful learning practices on student outcomes [63][64]