Measuring Results: The sustained effects of empowering educators

• In Event: Evidence based teacher training model for catalyzing inclusion and stabilizing communities post-conflict

Proposal

The final section of this presentation will focus on the external evaluation of the ECI program, its methods and results, as well as research findings that contribute to the broader body of knowledge on inclusive education practice.

The aim of the external evaluation was to determine the relevance, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of the ECI program. The external evaluation used mixed methods, initially involving a desk review of the substantial data already collected throughout the program, such as project documents, reports, and participant survey data. The external evaluators then interviewed and/or surveyed government partners, civil society partners, principals, parents, and IREX program managers. Program participants were selected for focus group discussions at the program’s final workshop in June 2022, which included samplings of participants in Cohort 1, Cohort 2, and Master Trainers, taking into account participant geography (representation of Ninewa and Anbar participants) and professional role (representation of teachers and administrators).

Based on data collected in quarterly participant surveys, on average, 83% of Cohort 1 participants and 99% of Cohort 2 participants used ECI strategies in their schools or classrooms. In Most Significant Change (MSC) stories collected in April 2019, 56% of participants saw positive results from use of emotional support strategies, 34% of participants from their use of inclusive education strategies, and 45% from pedagogical strategies. Not only did participants’ skills and abilities develop through the ECI program, but their mindsets regarding the teaching profession and their role in the community shifted. For Cohort 2, the number of participants who agreed with the statement, “I am a teacher leader,” increased by 22% in pre and post program surveys.

Further, there is evidence many results of the ECI program will be sustained, as focus group discussion (FGD) participants anticipated continuing to apply strategies in their classrooms and meeting with their peer learning communities. Government partners – in cooperation with Master Trainers – will continue to carry out training in the Ninewa and Anbar directorates, as well as integrate ECI strategies into other training and development initiatives.

Several features of the project contributed to its success, including the focus on teacher leadership, capacity building (as opposed to solely direct service provision), and relevance of the emotional support and social cohesion aims of the project in a post-conflict Iraq. At the same time, all FGD participants interviewed by the evaluators in June 2022 expressed a desire for more training to go further in-depth with key topics, ongoing support and follow up, and additional opportunities to see strategies implemented in real classrooms.

IREX has been praised as a program partner by its government and civil society partners because of its modeling of equity, inclusion, and commitment to quality. This program ethos contributed to the successful implementation of the program during an initial period of conflict in Iraq and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The program evaluation also surfaced best practices in teacher capacity development related to monitoring and evaluation, scaling and sustainability, and partner engagement that are applicable to practitioners, funders, and researchers alike.

Author

• Marissa Wong