Teaching Quality in sub-Saharan Africa

Achieving Teaching Quality in sub-Saharan Africa - Empirical findings from a Cascade Training(Quantitative Studie zur Analyse der Wirksamkeit eines Multiplikatorentrainings in der Lehrkräftefortbildung in Kamerun)

Projektleitung

Prof.ⁱⁿ Dr. habil. Sarah Désirée Lange (Promotionsprojekt)

Förderung

Promotionsstipendium des Elitenetzwerks Bayern

Förderzeitraum

Nov. 2010 bis Sept. 2013

Kurzbeschreibung

In the discussion on educational quality, teachers play a central role and the qualification level of teachers is seen as closely related to teaching quality. The general question that underlies the study is the global challenge of effective and qualitative teacher training (Lange, 2014). In the international discourse it is widely acknowledged that continuing professional development programmes are a relevant determining factor for teaching quality (Tatto, 2006). This leads to the question, what training model is effective for professional development of teachers? For development cooperation countries, the low baseline of teaching quality and limited financial and personal resources reinforce the need for cost-effective professional development strategies. A frequently implemented professional development model for on-the-job training of teachers is cascade training. Despite its frequent and widespread implementation, the question on the effectiveness of cascade training is a research desideratum.

The study focuses on the empirical analysis of the effects of a professional development programme, which is implemented in Anglophone Cameroon as cascade training. Thus, the study aims to answer the following research questions: What effects of the cascade training can be estimated a) on the self-reported teaching practice of the teachers, b) on the actual teaching practice of the teachers and c) on the students’ achievement.

The study is conceptualised as a control group design. Data was collected in 13 schools in Anglophone Cameroon. The research was conducted with instruments in English. The instrumentation consists of a questionnaire survey (a teacher questionnaire, a student questionnaire and a principal questionnaire), a video study and a student achievement test (TIMSS test Science).The sample comprises N=292 secondary teachers, N=15 videotaped lessons and N=1.095 students. The data collection of the video study included 15 lessons of multipliers and trained teachers in programme schools as well as lessons from teachers in control schools.

The empirical results show the effects of cascade training on the learner-oriented teaching practice on all three analysed levels (school, teaching practice, student achievement). The results emphasize that the trained teachers are supported in their role as change agents. Among the conditions for the conceptual quality and the implementation of cascade training, the continuity of school-based professional development is particularly emphasized in light of the results.

Projektbezogene Publikationen

Lange, S. D. (2019). Sociological gaps and power relations - Reflecting methodological challenges for educational research in an international setting. In M. H. Hoveid, L., Ciolan, A. Paseka & S. Marquesda Silva (Hrsg.). Challenges in Doing Educational Research. Perspectives from European Contexts (S. 179-202).

Lange, S. (2016): Achieving teaching quality in sub-Saharan Africa. Empirical findings from cascade training. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.

Lange, S. (2014): Learner orientation through professional development of teachers? Empirical results from cascade training in Anglophone Cameroon. In: Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education 44 (4), S. 587–612.

Lange, S. D., Buntins, M., Bergmüller, C., Scheunpflug, A. (i.V.). Scientific literacy as challenge in Cameroon - empirical results on relevant predictors for student achievement.