Applying Behavioral Science to Improve Teacher Uptake of Pedagogical Best Practices for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in Sub-Saharan Africa and India

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Over the past three decades, there has been substantial progress toward universal enrollment in primary education in low- and middle-income countries. These increases in school enrollment, however, are not translating into commensurate gains in learning outcomes. Nine out of ten children in sub-Saharan Africa cannot read with comprehension by the age of 10. In India, over 75% of Grade 3 learners have not gained foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills.

The evidence base for new instructional practices (such as Teaching at the Right Level or structured pedagogy) that can improve FLN outcomes at scale is growing. However, take up of these practices among teachers can be low. Programs that aim to improve FLN and education outcomes more generally do not frequently consider how teachers make decisions and take actions. Adopting new pedagogical practices, though, often requires teachers to engage in many behaviors that differ from what they have grown accustomed to—such as managing multiple smaller groups of learners rather than a large class and teaching to achieve comprehension rather than rote memorization. Various features of teachers’ contexts, however, can serve as barriers that stand in the way of teachers’ ability and motivation to engage in these behaviors. For example, teachers may lack the time required to change their methods, fail to gain confidence in their ability to teach using new practices, or have difficulty using dense teacher guides.

The field of behavioral science offers the opportunity to help more teachers adopt innovative pedagogical practices by understanding the behavioral barriers preventing teachers from utilizing new methods and materials, designing FLN programs in ways that address these barriers – including incorporating digital solutions to support teachers, and testing the impact of these designs on teacher behavior. This panel brings together a cohort of organizations that were funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to use a behavioral science approach to improve the uptake of pedagogical best practices in five FLN programs in sub-Saharan Africa and India. At CIES 2024, we presented on the initial phases of these projects; at CIES 2025, we will present the evaluation results from testing various behaviorally informed interventions designed to change teacher behavior.

Presentation 1 (ideas42 and ARED): The presenter will discuss a behaviorally informed intervention that was designed to help teachers provide better support to students of all learning levels in an after-school FLN remediation program in Senegal. They will also present on the results of a randomized controlled trial indicating that the intervention was effective in increasing both the amount and quality of support that teachers in the program provided to students, helping students benefit more fully from the program. Implications and recommendations for organizations and ministries of education implementing similar programs will also be discussed.

Presentation 2 (Funda Wande): The presenter will outline how they applied behavioral science to increase the consistent use of Funda Wande’s teacher guide during FLN lessons in native languages with students in South Africa. Specifically, the project aimed to increase teachers’ motivation to use the guide by demonstrating improved learner outcomes and creating accountability to prepare for lessons outlined in the guide. They will present on the results from a three-arm randomized controlled trial designed to isolate the effect of adding a behaviorally informed intervention to Funda Wande’s standard instructional coaching model on teacher behavior and consistent use of the guide.

Presentation 3 (Central Square Foundation and Centre for Social and Behaviour Change): The presenter will discuss how they developed a WhatsApp chatbot and micro-practice videos to address behavioral barriers hindering public school teachers from adopting effective instructional practices in FLN in Uttar Pradesh, India. Further, they will present on the results from an evaluation designed to measure the impact of these digital interventions on teachers’ uptake of effective FLN practices. Implications for implementing behaviorally informed interventions that are effective in improving learner outcomes, as well as sustainable and scalable, will also be discussed.

Presentation 4 (Busara, VVOB, and TaRL Africa): The presenter will highlight how they co-created with teachers and tested solutions to specifically address two behavioral barriers to quality implementation of a program designed to implement Teaching at the Right Level, or TaRL, across primary schools in Zambia. An initial research phase revealed that teachers may not take up TaRL if they 1) believe that improving learner outcomes is outside of their control and/or 2) have low confidence in their ability to teach using this methodology. The presentation will summarize the designs created to ameliorate these barriers and the results from an evaluation testing their impact on teachers’ beliefs and behaviors.

Presentation 5 (Youth Impact): The final presenter will expand on the prior presentation and conclude the panel by summarizing a study conducted in Botswana to explore the question of whether teacher beliefs are changeable. As mentioned, teachers may not implement TaRL-based lessons if they don’t think this will have an impact on learner outcomes and/or have low confidence in their own ability to utilize this teaching methodology. Key findings showing that these beliefs are malleable will be presented, as well as implications for FLN program design, implementation, and scalability.

In conclusion, this panel will show how different organizations in sub-Saharan Africa and India have applied behavioral science to create solutions, some of them digital, designed to improve teacher uptake of pedagogical best practices and ultimately enhance learners’ FLN outcomes. The presentations will focus on the results of incorporating these solutions within existing FLN programs and testing their impact on teacher behavior and program fidelity. We will also discuss the implications of these results for FLN implementers and ministries of education running similar programs and how to use behavioral science to improve the design, implementation, sustainability, and scalability of these programs, particularly within an increasingly digital world.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Kate Rinehart-Smit, ideas42

Individual Presentations

• Enhancing Teacher Support of Students in an After-School Remediation Program in Senegal with Behavioral Science - Katherine Flaschen, ideas42; Mamadou Ly, Associates in Research and Education for Development; Kate Rinehart-Smit, ideas42

• Behavioural Science for Pedagogical Change in South Africa - Zameka Lubelwana, Funda Wande; Nwabisa Makaluza, Funda Wande

• Leveraging Behavioural Science to Increase Teacher Uptake of Effective Instructional Practices in India - Sneha Shashidhara, Center for Social and Behaviour Change, Ashoka University; Akashi Kaul, Central Square Foundation

• Using Behavioral Science to Improve TaRL Delivery by Teachers in Zambia - Morgan Kabeer, Busara Center for Behavioral Economics; Sharon Schroen, VVOB - education for development; Stefaan Vande Walle, VVOB - education for development; Daniele J Ressler, Teaching at the Right Level Africa; Denis Kyalo Wambua, Teaching at the Right Level TaRL Africa

• Does Improving Teachers’ Skills Change Perceptions of Student Ability? - Tendekai Nkwane, Youth Impact

Discussant

• Akashi Kaul, Central Square Foundation