Conceptual Framework and Review of the Literature

• In Event: Developing a Profile of Teachers of Marginalized Children in Developing Countries: Results of a Cross-National Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

We begin the panel with a discussion of our conceptual framework and a brief review of related literature. Our conceptual framework contains two elements. First, what is a marginalized child and what constitutes a qualified teacher? By definition, marginalized children are often excluded from the formal education system. Those who are fortunate enough to enroll in school frequently find themselves in schools with poor resources and absent or poorly qualified teachers. We are primarily concerned with whether marginalized children have, on average, access to less qualified, equally qualified, or more qualified teachers relative to other children. Of course, what constitutes a “qualified teacher” is difficult to define and even more difficult to assess. Researchers have long debated the characteristics that make teachers effective. The one point that teacher quality researchers agree on is that access to effective teachers is vital for the academic success of children with few educational resources in the home.
The second part of the conceptual framework focuses on the processes that shape teacher distribution and the composition of the teacher labor force. The distribution of teachers across children and schools is the result of a series of decisions made both by teachers (supply side) and those who hire them (demand side). Recruitment, retention, and retirement are the three key activities that shape both the composition of the teacher labor market (who teaches) and the distribution of teachers (who teaches whom?). All of these activities have a demand and supply component. The demand and supply decisions in turn are affected by broader social, political and economic factors.
To assess the limited available literature on teacher distribution in developing countries, we conducted a systematic synthesis of studies published between 1990 and 2012. Our search relied on search engines including ERIC, Google Scholar, Psychological Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, the Social Science Citation Index, EconLit, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (US/International), Education Full Text, EBSCOhost, H. W. Wilson, and WorldCat. Search phrases include “teacher distribution,” “teacher hiring,” “teacher shortage,” and “teacher labor force.” We combined each of these search terms or phrases with the term “developing countries/nations.” We also included relevant reports produced by non-academic institutions such as UNESCO and the World Bank. We assigned at least two readers to each of the articles identified in this manner and devised a protocol for coding them based on our conceptual framework. We then synthesized this coded information into a systematic review of literature on teachers of marginalized children in developing countries. This review provides us with a comprehensive understanding of available evidence related to the problem of unequal access of marginalized children to qualified teachers, causes of this problem, and efforts to allocate qualified teachers to marginalized children.

Authors

• Amita Chudgar, Michigan State University

• Thomas F. Luschei, Claremont Graduate University

• Rebecca Devereaux