Lessons from using RIAs to support scaling of Teaching at the Right Level in Botswana

• In Event: Using Applied Behavioral Science to improve Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa and India

Proposal

Youth Impact is leading a process to scale Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) across all primary schools by 2025 in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MESD). As part of this process, we use rapid impact assessments (RIAs) to improve impact and cost-effectiveness. BMGF is supporting our RIAs that target teacher behavior and perceptions of teacher performance and that of their students. This presentation will provide an overview of how we implement TaRL in Botswana, our scaling plans, and how we are using RIAs to support scaling, with a focus on the behavioral studies.

The first study centers around the benefits of structured coaching tools for TaRL mentors. In addition to receiving training, TaRL instructors benefit from a “mentor” – someone who had previously implemented TaRL effectively and was promoted to be an ongoing coach. There is generally one mentor per school. Mentors receive an orientation on their role with expectations that builds upon their demonstrated experiences, equipping them to be strong, motivated, and knowledgeable support systems. However, they receive little in the way of structured “how-tos” on coaching and providing feedback to TaRL instructors, teachers, and teacher aides. Literature (Guskey 1986) argues that continued coaching after an initial training is essential to sustainably establish new classroom practices. Recent empirical evidence from evaluations of teacher professional development (e.g., Cilliers 2020) and structured pedagogy programs (e.g., Piper et al. 2014; Piper et al. 2018; Chakera et al. 2020; Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel 2020) support Guskey’s hypothesis. This RIA explores the effectiveness of a structured coaching tool that mentors can use to give feedback to TaRL instructors.

The second study centers around how to enhance teacher takeup of TaRL through shifting teacher perceptions and beliefs. Our direct scaling experience and partnership with the MESD supports the view that teacher beliefs are crucial and hard to change, yet essential to facilitate sustained scale of TaRL. For example, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the MESD has explicitly asked that TaRL first be delivered in schools “by whoever is willing” – whether it is the teachers, teacher aides, or support staff first- prior to rolling out national training for teachers. The rationale is that teachers are overwhelmed and overworked, and if called for training, will participate reluctantly. However, if they first see the potential of TaRL’s impact in their schools, they will then demand training, and take forward the reform enthusiastically.

TaRL provides a unique opportunity to change mindsets, since learning is measured frequently, in an easy-to-understand and highly visible fashion, and learning improves dramatically and quickly, showing the learning progress is possible and can be substantial. The first stage of this study is to simply understand if we see a before and after change of teacher perceptions after they have been trained in and implement the TaRL methodology. We will present results from this analysis during this presentation and talk about other options for answering this question of perception changes in a causal way.

Author

• Tendekai Mukoyi, Youth Impact