Evidence from India: Supporting teachers to maximize learning outcomes through structured pedagogy programs

• In Event: Effective implementation of teacher support: Cross-context evidence and multidisciplinary synthesis on how to support teaching to improve learning

Proposal

Teaching is a highly complex and demanding profession. An average teacher makes ~1500 daily decisions, categorized into pre-active (before classroom) and reactive (during classroom) decisions. The role of education policymakers is to design interventions that guide teachers as much as possible in the pre-active decision-making process, thereby reducing the cognitive load on them.

Central Square Foundation (CSF) is currently working with 11 different states in India on reforming the foundational learning program (per the “Nipun Bharat” National FLN mission) using the structured pedagogy approach. In this presentation, we will delve into:
- Key elements and tools of the Structured Pedagogy reforms to support teachers
- Data and evidence on what is working and what is not to effectively support teachers
- Insights gained from collaborating with state governments, academic partners, and their experiences navigating the complexities of Teacher Professional Development at Scale.

The Structured Pedagogy programs that CSF is part of include support for FLN teachers’ day-to-day teaching activities through structured teacher guides with one-page daily lesson plans linked to print-rich learning material. Related worksheets are provided to support everyday teaching. All these tools are tightly linked with each other with the help of a micro-practice learning outcomes framework.

Along with the tools, CSF has supported the states in reforming the teacher's continuous professional development by ensuring that in-service training and on-the-job mentoring are linked to the classroom's scope and sequence of learning. Teachers also have on-demand access to bite-sized teacher professional development videos on what and how to teach effectively.

In addition, CSF is conducting an in-depth process study in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to understand the reasons and hindrances for adopting the tools, the effectiveness of these tools in supporting teachers, and the overall impact on improving teaching practice.

Early evidence suggests that teachers find the guides helpful in planning and preparing for their classes. Evidence also shows that teachers who follow the teacher guides can see accelerated shifts in classroom practice and student outcomes. However, challenges such as delayed delivery of materials to the classrooms, iterations to the program every year, and mixed messaging from the state to use the textbooks and follow the teacher guides discourage teachers from adopting the new material.

Through this presentation, we want to highlight findings and learnings on the effectiveness of the structured pedagogy-based programs that can be designed and implemented to support teachers in LMIC contexts like India.

Author

• Anustup Nayak, Central Square Foundation