No.43 Can Teacher Training Improve Teacher Competence and Student Learning? Evidence from Ethiopia

Teacher quality is a critical factor in student learning. However, little is known about how low- and middle-income countries can enhance teacher quality within their government systems. This study presents results from a randomized evaluation of a government-implemented teacher professional development (PD) program for primary school mathematics and physics teachers in Ethiopia. As a complementary intervention to teacher training, this study also tested the effectiveness of using workbooks to help students retain what they learned in class. Following teacher training, teachers improved their teaching practices and content knowledge, but their students did not demonstrate short-term improvements in test scores without the use of workbooks. When students used workbooks with teacher assistance in supplemental classes, however, their test scores improved. After these interventions, teachers continued their efforts in their schools without financial incentives, reinforcing the impacts on teaching practice and teacher knowledge.

Keywords: Education policy, Student learning, Teacher training, Professional development