Article type
Abstract
Background:
Learning outcomes within Sub-Saharan Africa are particularly dire, with 9/10 children unable to read with comprehension by 10 years compared to 1/10 children in high-income countries. To improve the quality of education, a rigorous focus on teaching and learning, particularly on Teachers Professional Development (TPD), is needed, anchoring educational practices on best available evidence. However, existing TPD programs struggle to provide fruitful outcomes and yearn for better approaches. Adapting successful methods from other sectors, like audits and feedback in health care, could enhance best practices in teaching and learning and improve learning outcomes.
Objectives:
This pilot study aimed to assess the acceptability, feasibility, and evidence of promise of a novel TPD program, Pedagogic Audits and Feedback (PAF), for improving foundational learning in 4 African countries – Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, and Chad. PAF adapts the successful "audits and feedback" approach in health care to support teachers in implementing best practices for foundational learning.
Methods:
A mixed-methods design was employed. Forty schools were selected, and teachers (n = 80) participated in the 9-month pilot. PAF included (1) in-service training on providing effective feedback to students, (2) 3 cycles of classroom audits and feedback, and (3) ongoing coaching and behavior change support. Data collection included surveys, interviews, focus group discussions, and classroom audit records.
Results:
Findings suggest high acceptability by teachers and school administrators. Integration into existing systems was feasible, with the Ministries of Education in target countries co-creating and co-implementing the innovation. The study observed (1) increased compliance with recommended practices after each audit cycle, with 37%, 68%, and 77% compliance rates at baseline, midline, and endline, respectively; (2) positive changes in teacher behavior and classroom practices; and (3) initial indications of improved student learning outcomes, warranting further investigation.
Conclusions:
This pilot study demonstrates the potential of PAF as an acceptable, feasible, and promising approach to improve teacher practice and student learning in middle Africa. The findings support further investigation through a larger-scale randomized controlled trial to confirm its effectiveness and pave the way for wider implementation.
Learning outcomes within Sub-Saharan Africa are particularly dire, with 9/10 children unable to read with comprehension by 10 years compared to 1/10 children in high-income countries. To improve the quality of education, a rigorous focus on teaching and learning, particularly on Teachers Professional Development (TPD), is needed, anchoring educational practices on best available evidence. However, existing TPD programs struggle to provide fruitful outcomes and yearn for better approaches. Adapting successful methods from other sectors, like audits and feedback in health care, could enhance best practices in teaching and learning and improve learning outcomes.
Objectives:
This pilot study aimed to assess the acceptability, feasibility, and evidence of promise of a novel TPD program, Pedagogic Audits and Feedback (PAF), for improving foundational learning in 4 African countries – Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, and Chad. PAF adapts the successful "audits and feedback" approach in health care to support teachers in implementing best practices for foundational learning.
Methods:
A mixed-methods design was employed. Forty schools were selected, and teachers (n = 80) participated in the 9-month pilot. PAF included (1) in-service training on providing effective feedback to students, (2) 3 cycles of classroom audits and feedback, and (3) ongoing coaching and behavior change support. Data collection included surveys, interviews, focus group discussions, and classroom audit records.
Results:
Findings suggest high acceptability by teachers and school administrators. Integration into existing systems was feasible, with the Ministries of Education in target countries co-creating and co-implementing the innovation. The study observed (1) increased compliance with recommended practices after each audit cycle, with 37%, 68%, and 77% compliance rates at baseline, midline, and endline, respectively; (2) positive changes in teacher behavior and classroom practices; and (3) initial indications of improved student learning outcomes, warranting further investigation.
Conclusions:
This pilot study demonstrates the potential of PAF as an acceptable, feasible, and promising approach to improve teacher practice and student learning in middle Africa. The findings support further investigation through a larger-scale randomized controlled trial to confirm its effectiveness and pave the way for wider implementation.