A brief presentation to Chris Berry, Head of Education, DFID. Outlines some key weaknesses in the evidence base on teacher education and international development. Overviews two main approaches to teacher development: 'boutique' and 'cascade' training, and contrasts these to school-based, peer-supported, m-learning.

1. Common forms of Teacher Development
1
e.g. context: UP 2012:
* RMSA introduction; NCERT maths & Science exams
* 449 new schools; 402 schools ‘uplifted’; 26,000 teachers to train through INSET

2. peer support through
meetings and visits;
wider project support
support beyond
school
professional development materials for
teachers and classroom use,
new tools, HT & peer support
support in school
new
classroom
activities
for teachers &
students
Aspects of
School Based
Teacher Development

3. English in Action:
Upscaling a school-based, mobile enhanced,
Teacher Development Programme
See: Power et al (2012):
The Curriculum Journal, 23(4):503–529
EIA Pilot approach
mobile
materials
Conceptual framework
• teachers identity and
expertise is developed in
context of local practice
• the school is the main
setting of professional
learning
• cultural artefacts and tools
mediate learning
• support mechanisms
integrated school-based
peer supportSocial Practice Theory. See for example:
Chaiklin and Lave, 1993; Vygotsky, 1962;
Bruner, 1996; Sen, 1999

4. …emphasis on local peer support,
with practice expertise via
(offline) mobile technology
Pilot
mobile
materials mobile
materials
Upscale
local
peer
support

5. Westbrook et al., 2013
Westbrook, J., Durrani, N., Brown, R., Orr, D., Pryor, J., Boddy,
J., and Salvi, F. (2013). Pedagogy, curriculum, teaching practices
and teacher education in developing countries: final report.
Education rigorous literature review, EPPI-Centre, Social Science
Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London.
https://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=E93CRI7ONw
A%3D&tabid=3433
Applying DFID / EPPI Literature Review
The 5 Institutionalisation Strategy Objectives of English in Action
Westbrook et al EIA I&S Objectves
1. teacher peer support pairs of teachers
in school
2. aligned with T needs;
follow-on support
local support meetings
over school year:
3. support for T from head
teachers
explicit head teacher role in
support & monitoring in school
4. alignment with curriculum
& assessment
linked to national textbook
teacher guides and assessment
5. mobile technology +
AV curriculum materials
for Teachers & students

6. • Tatto:
Poor outcome measures; no educational theory of
change; economist driven evaluations
“field lacked a well-developed research
infrastructure to adequately study teacher education
trajectories” (p3)
• Cordingley:
• 14 studies;11 used; 6 had data on student
outcomes.
• Most had qualitative observational data; variety
of approaches limit comparability.
• evidence is mostly from the USA; one study
(Namibia) from LEDC.
Tatto, 2013
Tatto, M. (2013). The role of research in
international policy and practice in teacher
education. Research and teacher
education: the BERA-RSA inquiry, BERA.
http://www.bera.ac.uk/wp-
content/uploads/2014/02/BERA-Paper-2-
International-Policy-and-Practice-in-
Teacher-Education.pdf
Cordingley, 2013
Cordingley, P. (2013). The contribution of
research to teachers’ professional learning
and development. Research and teacher
education: the BERA-RSA inquiry, BERA,
London.
http://www.bera.ac.uk/wp-
content/uploads/2013/12/BERA-RSA-
Research-Teaching-Profession-FULL-
REPORT-for-web.pdf
BERA Reviews:
The role of research in international policy and practice:
in initial teacher education; in CPD

7. DFID review: Educational Technology
in low to lower-middle income countries
• Review of over 80 studies (45 research
documents; 20 literature reviews; 18 grey literature
reports) of Educational Technology use in schools,
for teaching and learning, in low to lower-middle
income countries.
• Many studies present no evidence of classroom
practice or learning outcomes
• Only 3 studies present quantitative evidence on
classroom practice
• IRI, Mali: (Ho & Thukral 2009, p.32)
• Bridge IT, India: (Wennerstan et al, 2012)
• English in Action, Bangladesh: (EIA 2011, 2012,
2014)
Power et al., 2014
Power, T., Gater, R., Grant, C., and Winters, N. (2014). Educational
technology. Topic guide, Health and Education Advice and Resource
Team, Department for International Development, London, UK

8. Common problems of evidence
relating to classroom practice
1. Locus of Evidence
2. Problems of Scale
3. Weak or absent theories of change
4. Limited focus on teaching or learning practices
5. Predominance of qualitative methods
6. Limited accumulation of data