Time to Teach: A Multi-country Qualitative Study of the Determinants of Teacher Absenteeism

• In Event: Instructional time across countries and contexts: Measurement and results

Proposal

Teachers attending classes and engaging in effective teaching is a critical prerequisite to educating school-going children. Recent evidence shows that the rate of teachers’ time-on-task is less than half of contracted teaching time in sub-Saharan Africa (Bold et al 2017; Filmer 2015). Teacher absenteeism and low time on task are also recognized as major elements of the ineffectiveness of education systems in the region by key education stakeholders and society more broadly. Yet, the evidence base on how policies and practices, at various level of the education system influence teacher absenteeism, remains scant.

Time to Teach (TTT) is a multi-country (20 African countries) research project with the aim to: i) to deepen understanding of the determinants of teacher attendance and teacher motivations to teach - as they relate to both extrinsic and intrinsic incentives; ii) provide country-specific policy recommendations; and iii) develop a regional knowledge base and encourage cross-country learning.

By employing a multilevel concept of teacher absenteeism, a range of qualitative research methods, and a systemic explanatory framework, the study aims to identify the determinants of five different types of teacher absenteeism (Type 1: absence from school; Type 2: absence of punctuality; Type 3: absence from classroom; Type 4: absence from teaching; and Type 5: absence of pedagogy and content knowledge). The research questions addressed by this study include: which factors at different levels of the education system can lead teachers to being absent in various ways; to what extent do different factors influence the propensity of teachers to absenteeism in different countries; and how can the different types of teacher absenteeism be addressed?

Emphasis will be placed on findings emerging from the analysis of primary data, collected through approximately 3,000 semi-structured interviews, 540 focus group discussions, and 4,000 close-ended surveys with key education stakeholders in the region (teachers, head teachers, students, community leaders, and national and subnational education officers). Regional trends and patterns in teacher absenteeism identified through the comparative analysis of individual country data will also be presented and the experiences with doing qualitative research in African context will also be shared. Overall, the presentation will offer an opportunity to distill key lessons learned and engage in a discussion with the audience about the usefulness and replicability of the study in other regions.

Author

• Matt Brossard, UNICEF