Evaluating the Fast-track Transformational Teaching Program: - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Evaluating the Fast-track Transformational Teaching Program:

Improving Kindergarten Quality through Teacher Pre-service Training in Ghana

Subtitle placeholder Ghana Educa*on Evidence Day 2018 Improving Accountability for Be6er Learning Outcomes in Ghana: Evidence-informed Approaches to Educa@on Policy and Prac@ce

Research by Sharon Wolf, Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania Presented by Madeleen Hussselman, Ghana Country Director, Innovations for Poverty Action wolfs@upenn.edu mhusselman@poverty-action.org

Acknowledgements

Partners University of Pennsylvania Sabre Education Funders UK Department for International Development The Marple Foundation Charitable Trust

• The 2012 Government Kindergarten (KG) Situational Report

concluded 2004 Kindergarten curriculum is effective, but teachers are not using it

• High-quality pre-service training may be a solution
• Seven of 40 colleges of education currently offer a KG

certification track.

Study Context

Fast-track Transformational Teaching (FTTT) Programme

Features of Programme

Resources

• Starter pack and ‘Teacher

Resource Toolkit’ Support

• Intensive in-service training

workshops

• Continued coaching and

training support Teaching Tools

• Links Kindergarten curriculum
• bjectives and child development

goals to specific activities Engagement with parents

• ‘Open Days’ will showcase the

children’s work and share positive results with the parents

Summary of Findings

• FTTT improved knowledge of Early Childhood Education, and

the effects persisted over time

• FTTT has mixed effects on professional well being
• Use of child-led instructional strategies increased, but effects

completely dissipated over time

• No effect on learning outcomes for students of Newly

Qualified Teachers.

• Head Teacher training did not have any impact on student

learning

• 1. Is the FTTT effec-ve as a pre-service teacher training

programme (i) during the student-teaching year, and (ii) a>er teachers become NQTs (newly-qualified teachers)?

• 2. Is the FTTT programme more effec-ve when Head

Teachers in NQTs’ placement schools receive a 4-day sensi-vity training?

Research Questions

Research Design

135 student-teachers (STs) from Holy Child College of Education in 2015 Randomization FTTT School (69 STs, 23 schools) Control school (68 STs, 23 schools) Student-teaching year (2015-2016) Placement year (2016-2017) Placement across the country 35 NQT schools randomly assigned to receive Head Teacher sensitization training

81 7 4 15 5 16 1 1

Placement of study newly qualified teachers (NQTs) around the country

Results assessed on the following outcomes

• Implementation and knowledge of KG curriculum
• Teacher professional well-being
• Teaching quality
• Student outcomes

Data collected

Baseline (Jun 2015) Follow-up 1 (Jun 2016) Follow-up 2 (Nov–Oct 2016) Follow-up 3 (May–Jun 2017) Demographics X Implementation of curriculum X X X Early childhood education knowledge X X Teacher–child interactions X X X Professional well-being X X X Student outcomes X X

FTTT improved implementation of the KG curriculum; the level of implementation persisted but declined for NQTs.

Impacts on implementation of KG Curriculum

* Indicates statistical significance

2.40* 0.39* 0.69* 1.14* 0.33* 0.32* 0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 Student Teachers Newly Qualified Teachers (October 2016) Newly Qualified Teachers (June 2017) Effect Size (d) Materials Activities

FTTT improved teachers’ knowledge about ECE, and these improvements lasted for NQTs.

0.47* 0.55* 0.69* 0.64* 0.34* 0.41*

0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80 Newly Qualified Teachers (October 2016) Newly Qualified Teachers (June 2017) Effect Size (d) Developmentally appropriate practice Child social-emotional needs Family-sensitive practice

* Indicates statistical significance

FTTT student-teachers and NQTs reported increased more personal accomplishment, but less job satisfaction as NQTs.

0.24 0.24* 0.12 0.34

• 0.05
• 0.09
• 0.11

0.10*

• 0.37*

0.42* 0.19* 0.32*

• 1.00
• 0.80
• 0.60
• 0.40
• 0.20

0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00 Student Teachers Newly Qualified Teachers (October 2016) Newly Qualified Teachers (June 2017) Motivation Burnout Job Satisfaction Personal Accomplishment

* Indicates statistical significance

NQTs reported increased more personal accomplishment, but less job satisfaction.

Classrooms were video-taped for 45-60 minutes and rated on three domains of instructional quality

FTTT had mixed impacts on teaching quality

• Free play to facilitate

learning

• Learning activities facilitate

work, play and sharing with

• ther children.

Child-led learning

• Positive climate
• Negative climate
• Teacher sensitivity/tone
• Behavior management
• Consistent Routine

Emotional support & behavior management

• Student ideas considered
• Reasoning/problem solve
• Connections to life
• Language modeling

Supporting student expression

FTTT increased child-led learning for STs and NQTs, but decreased other elements of classroom quality. All impacts decrease with time.

0.90* 0.38* 0.12*

• 0.53*
• 0.07+

0.02

• 0.02
• 0.08+

0.05

• 1.00
• 0.80
• 0.60
• 0.40
• 0.20

0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00 Student Teachers Newly Qualified Teachers (October 2016) Newly Qualified Teachers (June 2017) Effect Size (d) Child-led learning Emotional support, behavior management Supporting student expression

FTTT did not affect child learning outcomes for NQT’s students (note: we do not know for MPCs)

• 0.06

0.06

• 0.02
• 0.05

0.08

• 0.6
• 0.4
• 0.2

0.2 0.4 0.6 Early literacy Early numeracy Social-emotional Executive function Approaches to learning Effect size

Summary of Findings

• FTTT improved knowledge of Early Childhood Education, and

the effects persisted over time

• FTTT has mixed effects on professional well being
• Use of child-led instructional strategies increased, but effects

completely dissipated over time

• No effect on learning outcomes for students of Newly

Qualified Teachers.

• Head Teacher training did not have any impact on student

learning

Unexpected Challenges

• Late postings of NQTs (very few teachers at schools before

October)

• 20 teachers were placed as NQTs in non-KG classrooms.
• NQTs from the FTTT group were more likely to be placed in a

KG classroom.

• Some children changed classrooms / teachers during the school

year

Nearly all NQTs are still teaching in the same schools. Those placed in non-KG classrooms are still teaching other grades:

• 3 teachers in Junior high school classrooms
• 17 in primary classrooms (P1 – P4)

Impacts on ECE knowledge persist; but impacts on professional well-being disappear.

One year later (June 2018)

• Assess additional ways to train and engage Head Teachers and

parents in the KG curriculum.

• Consulting with implementing organization with the following

recommendations:

• Consider providing in-service training and support beyond the

student-teaching year, especially for first year NQTs. Sabre Education is currently doing this.

• Teacher postings should be considered to ensure that NQTs are

posted in to the classrooms in which they are trained. This will involve partnering with national and local GES offices.

Next Steps

• Sabre Education
• Holy Child College of Education
• Ghana Education Service
• Department for International Development (DfID)
• Student-teachers / NQTs and their students who participated in this

study and shared their passion for teaching with our data collection

• team. None of this would not be possible without you!

Thank you

Reference: Wolf, S. (2018). Impacts of Pre-Service Training and Coaching on Kindergarten Quality and Student Learning Outcomes in Ghana. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 59, 112-123.