Scalable approaches to improving learning by integrating technology into teacher support program management

• In Event: Challenges of digital interventions and practical solutions for teachers and classrooms in resource constrained communities

Proposal

Relevance to CIES 2025: Inspiring Teachers' TFLI approach addresses the need for scalable approaches to improving learning by integrating technology into teacher support program management.

Need and Topic: In 2024, the Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP) Smart Buys report identified structured pedagogy as a Great Buy, highlighting Digital Technology to improve learning as a Promising Buy. Meanwhile, a review of USAID literacy programs found program impacts were largely concentrated in a subset of learners in schools where programs were implemented effectively. This presentation will explore Inspiring Teachers' learnings from applied research developing and trialing technology-integrated solutions aiming to overcome the barriers to effective structured pedagogy programs in Uganda and Ghana.

Program Approach: Since 2020, Inspiring Teachers has been working to understand and develop solutions to support more effective structured pedagogy program delivery. Through this work, they have developed the "Tools for Foundational Learning Improvement" (TFLI). TFLI is an integrated suite of tools to support structured pedagogy program delivery. Components include:

User-friendly lesson guides

App-based student tracking tools

Integrated training and coaching platform

Management information system designed to support a shift towards data-driven teacher support

Research to be presented: Inspiring Teachers has used sandbox, testbed, and demonstration programs to trial, refine, evaluate, and iterate on components of the TFLI approach. We will share learnings from a short-duration randomized control trial conducted in 2024 evaluating TFLI's effectiveness, as well as lessons from testbed programs.

Methods and Results: As part of a 16-school testbed program, Inspiring Teachers, in collaboration with JPAL researchers Jason Kerwin and Dr. Monica Quafeyio-Lambon, ran an RCT to evaluate the Inspiring Reading component of TFLI. The study, conducted over 4 months in 16 classrooms in Cape Coast, Ghana, measured children's reading fluency and foundational literacy skills.

Impact Assessment: The study showed significant improvements in literacy, with effect sizes ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 standard deviations over just 4 months. Extrapolated annually, these effects could reach 0.45 to 1 standard deviation, potentially making the program highly effective. A larger-scale 80-school study is underway with Innovations for Poverty Action to address limitations of the initial study's sample size and further validate these promising results.

Generalisable Learnings: In addition to sharing its research and the TFLI approach, Inspiring Teachers will present learnings from leveraging testbed programs in low-cost private schools and frameworks to support systematic iteration towards a scalable model. The presentation will offer actionable strategies for research-informed program improvement, contributing new insights into effective integration of technology in structured pedagogy programs.

Conclusion: This research contributes to the field by demonstrating the potential of technology-integrated structured pedagogy to significantly improve literacy outcomes in developing countries. It offers a practical, scalable approach to addressing persistent challenges in education quality, with implications for policy and practice in similar contexts.

Author

• Simon Graffy, Inspiring Teachers