Tags: Teacher Training, Low-Achieving Students
Students in developing countries vary widely in preparation for schooling. As a result, teachers may not hold accurate beliefs about the academic skills of their students. This is likely to impact the quality of instruction in the classrooms negatively, and hence affect students' learning levels.
To address the issue of a lack of teacher' awareness about their students' skills, the World Bank, with the support of the Government of Bangladesh, was conducting an impact evaluation in a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) aimed at improving teachers' knowledge and students' learning levels.
The study aimed to evaluate whether providing teachers with training and materials, including student report cards and instructional guidance, could improve student learning outcomes.
468 schools participated, divided into two treatment groups and one control group (156 schools each). The 312 schools in the treatment arms received these interventions following baseline and midline assessments.
Interventions and Randomization: We randomly assigned 450 schools to
In May 2022, the research team initiated the baseline data collection. 468 schools were selected from three divisions, each clustered within four districts. From each school, 20 students were randomly chosen for surveys and assessments.
Each student completed a 15-minute digital survey to provide background information. This was followed by all 468 schools participating in a 180-minute group-based paper assessment in math and reading. To process the large volume of data, an in-house digitization and scoring team, consisting of approximately 100 operators, was set up. In addition to this core assessment, an extra 30-minute paper-based written test was administered in the 312 treatment schools (T1 and T2) to capture more detailed student learning metrics.
Teachers also participated in the study, with one math teacher per school completing a 45-minute survey on instructional practices and student performance.
This phase established the foundation for measuring student learning and teacher perceptions before implementing interventions.
As the study progressed, the research team conducted unannounced school visits to assess classroom engagement and verify attendance data. These visits occurred between November 2022 and February 2023, covering all 468 schools in the study. On each visit day, enumerators recorded real-time attendance of both students and teachers and compared it with administrative attendance records to assess consistency. They also observed and logged teacher punctuality and classroom presence to evaluate alignment with official reporting. These surprise checks helped ensure data integrity and provided insights into the day-to-day functioning of the classrooms beyond reported figures.
During the announced visits and midline assessment, conducted between September and October 2022, researchers observed a 60-minute classroom session with the sample math teacher in all 468 schools to evaluate instructional practices. Following the observation, teachers completed a 40-minute survey to share their experiences and perceptions regarding the intervention and teaching conditions.
The team then revisited the same 20 baseline students in each school for follow-up assessments. Each student completed a 15-minute survey (in all 468 schools) aimed at tracking changes in their learning environment. In the 312 treatment schools, these students also participated in a 30-minute group-based written assessment to measure the learning impact of the interventions.
All survey and assessment responses were recorded on paper and later digitized. A dedicated in-house data entry team handled this task, ensuring the timely and accurate digitization of the midline data across all school visits.
In October and November of 2022, the study entered its endline phase. The 20 Grade 6 students tracked from the baseline were now assessed through multiple surveys and evaluations across all 468 participating schools.
First, a 15-minute digital student survey was conducted individually with each student. Following this, a 180-minute group-based written assessment covering both math and reading was administered on paper. This was facilitated by the school's math teacher, with data entry to be completed afterward. Finally, students completed a 45-minute paper-based survey collecting further information. These three components - survey, assessment, and follow-up survey- were implemented consistently across all 468 schools.
In addition to these core activities, a range of field data collection efforts were implemented during the endline phase: