Strengthening Education Systems to Stimulate Teacher Effort, Motivation, and Professionalism (TEMP)

December, 2016 Siem Reap, Cambodia

Reinier TerwindtGlobal Head of Monitoring and Evaluation, STIR Education

Praveen’s Story – 1 of 250,000,000

The Problem:

• Evidence shows that teachers make the biggest difference to how children learn

• Yet, too many teachers are de-motivated and struggle to improve their teaching practice

E.g. India:- 25% absenteeism

- Less than 50% of time spent teaching - Poor quality

Our learning since initial focus on “micro-innovations”:

Teacher:• Teachers as the problem -> can be the solution• Carrots and Sticks -> intrinsic motivation• Vessels to be filled -> lamps to be lighted

System:• Impediment/Constraint -> accelerators of impact• Parallel systems -> strengthen existing systems• Delivery partner -> from co-creation to ownership • Top down/bottom-up -> develop leadership spine

Literature Review

STIR Special Sauce: growth mindset, efficacy, motivation, resilience, commitment, collaboration, innovation, reflective practice

• Psychological factors such as motivation, self-efficacy, and growth mindset contribute to teachers’ professional development and improve their teaching

• These professional mindsets and behaviors (e.g. efficacy, resilience, collaboration) positively impact student learning

• Almost all these mindsets and behaviors are positively linked to each other

Our Vision: every child has a motivated professional as a teacher, whom they trust, respect and value

Our Mission: every teacher to be driven by the intrinsic motivation to see their students learn and to realize their potential to become the best teacher they can be

Since 2012:

27,000 teachers in Uganda and India...In 700 teacher networks

1.1 million children directly impacted

By 2021:Growth to 120,00 teachers and 4.5 million children... At a cost of $2 per child per year

How do we do it?

In partnership with education systems (Governments, unions, and civil society), we build teacher networks in which teachers collaboratively create practical innovations in their classrooms around key teaching improvement principles and thereby stimulate Teacher Effort, Motivation, and Professionalism (TEMP)

Deci and Ryan (2000):- Autonomy teachers own their classroom improvement process- Competence teachers gain the mastery to do so effectively- Relatedness teachers gain a sense of belonging (within their network,

school, and “system”)

How do we do it?

• Two year Teacher Changemaker Journey of repeated “Learning Improvement Cycles”

• Simultaneously, working with schools and districts to strengthen the enabling environment for teachers

• Additional 3 years of light-touch district support to ensure sustainability of teacher collaboration and brokering partnerships to address key educational barriers (e.g. reading) using the Learning Improvement Cycle

District Education Officers

Education Leaders

Head Teachers

Teacher

Theory of Change:

Identify problem and

develop a solution

Reflect on and adapt solution

Evaluate impact of solution

Teacher Effort & Motivation

Professional Practice

Improved Student Learning

Learning Improvement

Cycle

Key impact thus far:

Through ongoing RCT in India:• Significant improvements in teaching effort and motivation through time on task • Significant improvements in learning outcomes (math)

Signs of improvements in teaching practice through qualitative studies, but need to understand further.

Partnership with New York University:- Teacher Survey (Special Sauce)- TIPPS Observation - Student Report- Social Network Survey

Summary:

1. We need to look at both teacher and the system level2. We need to reframe the global narrative around teachers – to

seeing them as active agents of change, and developing a new “cocktail” of teacher effort, intrinsic motivation, and professionalism (TEMP) that creates a virtuous cycle of classroom improvement

3. We need to rethink how to partner with governments and unions to sustain teacher change – right through the spine

Looking Forward: Business Case for Teacher Motivation• Teacher salaries are by far the largest part of national education budgets

• As discussed, challenges around motivation and professional practice are huge barriers for improved learning

• Given the cost effectiveness of TEMP interventions like STIR ($2 per child p.a.) – there is an exciting business case around teacher motivation and professionalism that we’d love to build with colleagues in the room

• Also, support from WISE to build off our literature review through concrete case studies

• Thank you! rterwindt@stireducation.org