Impact Assessment of the Use of Subsidized School Improvement Teacher Training Services in Lagos, with DEEPEN

Abstract

The study analyses the impact of teacher training and its application towards improved classroom learning. The assumptions prior to the teacher intervention were weak demand for teacher training services, low quality and an expensive supply of teacher trainers. The theory of change for this intervention is that by underwriting the development costs of training and working with school improvement service providers to reduce their cost of service delivery, private school teachers would demand for increased training due to quality improvements, and pupils will perform better in numeracy and literacy. Research design for the assessment used difference in difference methodology. A two years’ time lag was provided to allow the knowledge learnt by teachers to be practiced in the classroom and shared with other colleagues. The time-lag provided service providers an opportunity to expand services with the potential for larger scale of attendance by teachers and profitability of training. From the assessments, it was found that teachers accessing the training had an increase of about 40.1% for competence in lesson delivery, with a decrease of about 59.2% for teachers not competent in delivering effective lessons. Closer assessment showed 52.6% increase in the use of child-centered teaching approach during lessons and teachers using innovative teaching methods in the classroom.

Keywords: Teacher training, Impact assessment, Child-centered learning, Making Markets Work for the Poor(M4P), Low-fee private schools Lagos