The Effect of Teacher Training and Community Literacy Programming on Teacher and Student Outcome

Feliciano Chimbutane, Naureen Karachiwalla (), Catalina Herrera-Almanza (), Jessica Leight and Carlos Lauchande
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Feliciano Chimbutane: Eduardo Mondlane University
Naureen Karachiwalla: IFPRI, International Food Policy Research Institute
Catalina Herrera-Almanza: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Carlos Lauchande: Universidade Pedagogica Maputo

No 17611, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Motivated by extremely low levels of basic reading skills in sub-Saharan Africa, we experimentally evaluate two interventions designed to enhance students' early-grade literacy performance in rural Mozambique: a relatively light-touch teacher training in early-grade literacy along with the provision of pedagogical materials, and reacher training and materials in conjunction with community-level reading camps. Using data from 1,596 third graders in 160 rural public primary schools, we find no evidence that either intervention improved teachers' pedagogical knowledge or practices or student or teacher attendance following two years of implementation. There are some weak positive effects on student reading as measured by a literacy assessment, primarily observed in a shift away from scores of zero, and these effects are consistent across arms. Our findings are consistent with the growing consensus that more intensive school- and/or community-based interventions are required to meaningfully improve learning.

Keywords: teacher training; primary school; literacy; randomized control trial; Mozambique (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I25 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 41 pages
Date: 2025-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev, nep-exp and nep-fle
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