Validating professional standards for teachers: A practical guide for research design: Snapshot literature review

This report aims to establish a strong evidence base for planning a validation study of professional standards for teachers. It presents findings from a rapid snapshot review of relevant research literature, to identify previous examples of validation studies, and extract lessons from these about worthwhile methods and considerations in research design. This review was originally conducted to inform the design of a validation study of the draft Myanmar Teacher Competency Standards Framework, but may also have wider relevance to other education systems pursuing similar standards-based reforms. This report presents findings from the literature review. It is divided into four sections: 1. What does validity mean? 2. How can validity be demonstrated? 3. Validity and reliability. 4. Policy considerations. The report also includes two recent detailed case studies, from Vietnam and the Philippines

Technology in education: a case study on Lao People\u27s Democratic Republic

This paper was commissioned by the Global Education Monitoring Report as background information for the development of the 2023 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report: technology and education, Southeast Asia. Digital technology has the potential to transform learning and offer a solution to persistent challenges in equity of access and quality of learning for all students. COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of technology to deliver alternative modes of education. It has also put the spotlight on the digital divide that technology creates. This Case Study explores the progress of technology integration in the education sector in Lao PDR in line with its aspirations for a thriving digital economy driven by a digitally-skilled workforce. It explores the current conditions that facilitate or inhibit digitalization of the education sector and considers the impact across the system, sector-wide and school levels. This includes issues relating to digital access, digital literacy of teachers and students, technology infrastructure investments and the regulatory environment. The findings suggest that many of these challenges are not unique to Lao PDR. However, with a clear strategy, political commitment and sustainable resourcing of the education sector, there are opportunities for the Government of Lao PDR and its partners, to set a strong foundation for digitalizing the education system

Teachers and technology in the Pacific

Although digital literacy is increasing in the Pacific region, access to educational technologies within the education sector remains inconsistent for both teachers and their students. This report presents an analysis of current practices that support technology integration in the classroom, with a particular focus on the work of teachers in the Pacific Island states of Palau, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Based on an analysis of academic and grey literature, and interviews with key stakeholders involved in the implementation of educational technologies in the region, several key findings emerge. Education policies and practices designed to improve the digital literacy and skills of teachers have expanded, and donor-driven investments in educational technologies have provided more opportunities for technology integration in the education sector across the Pacific. However, although teachers have increasing chances to learn about and engage with pedagogies and practices that incorporate educational technologies, existing poor infrastructure limit the opportunities to apply these new skills in the classroom. The report concludes with considerations for supporting more sustainable practices in the region that may allow teachers to integrate technology into their practice in meaningful ways into the future

Readiness, response, and recovery: The impacts of COVID-19 on education systems in Asia

This review provides insights into COVID-19 responses in educational systems in Asia, and to understand which policies and practices were already in place to contribute to system readiness and resilience. Although the evidence base remains scarce, reflecting on the different system and school-level responses in Asia provides opportunity to identify gaps in current policies and research, and consider new ways in which countries in Asia can strengthen their educational systems into the future. It considers what makes an education system resilient, and the importance of school level practices. It uses an analytical framework to review readiness, response and recovery, and concludes with a discussion of gaps in evidence in Asia

Analysis of early childhood education and learning outcomes in the Pacific

There is strong evidence supporting early childhood education (ECE) programmes as an effective way to support children to have the best start in life, especially for the most disadvantaged children. When high‐quality programmes are established – where quality is assured, and barriers to participation eliminated – large positive effects are observed that are sustained into adulthood. Indeed, substantial positive returns on public investment in ECE programmes are reported. When low‐quality programmes are taken to scale in the market, however, smaller effects or no effects are observed. This is attributed to failure to get quality right. And when quality is too low, children who stand to benefit the most get less or no access at all. The relationship between everyday ECE programmes and learning outcomes is often confounded by selection effects. For example, families with more resources can often bear higher fees, transport costs, and other barriers to choose the highest quality programmes. The more advantaged families tend to make other, non‐ECE, investments in their children’s learning, and therefore family advantage is positively correlated with both ECE attendance and learning outcomes – in this case the effect of ECE programmes are over‐estimated. Conversely, some ECE systems may be organised such that only the most disadvantaged children are prioritised in formal ECE programmes and for the same reason family advantage is now negatively correlated with ECE attendance but positively correlated with learning outcomes – in this case the effect of ECE programmes is under‐estimated, or is even negative! This report explores the impact of ECE programmes in the Pacific region and presents evidence to inform the implementation of the Pacific Regional Education Framework (PacREF), particularly related to the development of monitoring mechanisms for school readiness. Recommendations are also made to support progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4.2.1 and 4.1.1. This report interrogates evidence about effective ECE systems to identify levers to improve everyday programmes at scale. This evidence is compared with systems‐level reporting in the Pacific region – including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Status Report on Early Childhood Care and Education in Pacific Island Countries. Then, using the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA), analysis is conducted to explore the strength of association between ECE participation and school‐age learning outcomes. The analysis focuses on three countries as an initial deep‐dive into student achievement and ECE participation using the PILNA results: Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. The results are then synthesised, and recommendations made

COVID-19 Education Response Mapping Study: Building Resilience in the Kyrgyz Republic: Readiness, Response, and Recovery

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis has caused unprecedented levels of disruption to education systems worldwide. Across the Asia region, it is estimated that around 760 million children were impacted by school closures at the height of the pandemic. Government response strategies have varied across the region, with some countries imposing prolonged school lockdowns while others have had short, repeated closure periods. As countries begin to reopen schools and continue to prepare for subsequent waves of COVID-19 infection, there is a need to develop the greater capability of education systems to safeguard learning and address persistent barriers to learning equality by harnessing the opportunities for systemic change. However, school-based practices and responses that have been effective in supporting the continuity of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic have yet to be well examined, particularly in Asia. While the system and school structures are a crucial component of educational quality, understanding what happens in a school setting can offer meaningful insights into overcoming barriers to educational quality as education systems recover and rebuild from the pandemic. This report presents the findings of research undertaken in the Kyrgyz Republic, Central Asia. It forms part of a broader study that aims to explore the system and school-level practices that have supported learning continuity in Asia during the pandemic. The study will focus on the practices of policymakers that have supported teaching and learning and consider ways in which school leaders, teachers, and parents have worked to support children during periods of disruption. Rather than comparing the responses of countries in Asia, this study will highlight innovations in the system and school policies and programs in the Kyrgyz Republic and make recommendations based on insights from the Kyrgyz Republic’s education system. The study will focus on the system and school participants that support students in the Kyrgyz Republic but will not include students themselves

COVID-19 Education Response Mapping Study: Building Resilience in Lao PDR: Readiness, Response, and Recovery

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis has caused unprecedented levels of disruption to education systems worldwide. Across the Asia region, it is estimated that around 760 million children were impacted by school closures at the height of the pandemic. Government response strategies have varied across the region, with some countries imposing prolonged school lockdowns while others have had short, repeated closure periods. As countries begin to reopen schools and continue to prepare for subsequent waves of COVID[1]19 infection, there is a need to develop the greater capability of education systems to safeguard learning and address persistent barriers to learning equality by harnessing the opportunities for systemic change. However, school-based practices and responses that have been effective in supporting the continuity of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic have yet to be well examined, particularly in Asia. This report presents the findings of a document review focused on the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). This report forms part of a broader study that aims to explore the system and school-level practices that have supported learning continuity in Asia during the pandemic. The report will focus on the practices of policymakers that have the potential to support teaching and learning. Rather than comparing the responses of countries in Asia, this study will identify areas of opportunity and innovations in the system and school policies and programs in Lao PDR and make recommendations for those working to support Lao PDR’s education system

COVID-19 Education Response Mapping Study in Asia: Executive Summary

This document provides a summary of research exploring the systems, policies, and school-level practices that have supported learning continuity in Asia during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a review of policy documents on COVID-19 responses in Asia and a deep dive analysis of system and school-level responses in the Philippines and the Kyrgyz Republic, the findings from this study provide policymakers and education stakeholders with evidence of promising practices that could be leveraged to support learning recovery and education system resilience. In addition, a policy review was conducted on the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), which focused on the practices of policymakers that have the potential to support teaching and learning. The study\u27s intent is not to compare and contrast countries\u27 responses but to highlight innovations in the system and school practices and make recommendations based on insights from system leaders and educators

Evaluation of Australia\u27s Investment in Teacher Development in Lao PDR: Summary of the 2019 Baseline Report

In 2019, the Government of Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) introduced a new primary education curriculum to improve teaching quality and student learning outcomes. The Government’s Education and Sports Sector Development Plan 2021- 25 focuses on improving teacher knowledge and skills as a means to improve student learning outcomes. This report summarises baseline findings just prior to these significant curriculum changes. These changes are supported by the Australian Government through its Basic Education Quality and Access in Laos (BEQUAL) program. The Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has commissioned a study to investigate how BEQUAL is making a difference to the Government of Lao PDR’s ongoing primary education reforms. This study is part of a multi-year series undertaken by DFAT’s Education Analytics Service to investigate teacher and learning development initiatives in three countries: Lao PDR, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu. Key findings from this study include: the need for intensive action on Lao language literacy; targeted teacher training on the new curriculum, with a special emphasis on second language learners; and deepened engagement with school communities to reduce student absenteeism and improve student readiness for school

COVID-19 Education Response Mapping Study: Building Resilience in the Philippines: Readiness, Response, and Recovery

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis has caused unprecedented levels of disruption to education systems worldwide. Across the Asia region, it is estimated that around 760 million children were impacted by school closures at the height of the pandemic. Government response strategies have varied across the region, with some countries imposing prolonged school lockdowns while others have had short, repeated closure periods. As countries begin to reopen schools and prepare for subsequent waves of COVID-19 infection, there is a need to develop a higher capability of education systems to safeguard learning and address persistent barriers to learning equality by harnessing the opportunities for systemic change. However, school-based practices and responses that have effectively supported learning continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic have yet to be well examined, particularly in Asia. This report presents the research findings undertaken in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. This report forms part of a broader study that explores the system and school-level practices that have supported learning continuity in Asia during the pandemic. The study will focus on the policymaker practices that supported teaching and learning and consider ways school leaders, teachers, and parents have worked to support children during periods of disruption. Rather than comparing the responses of Asia countries, this study will highlight innovations in the system and school policies and programs in the Philippines and make recommendations based on insights from the Philippines’ education system. The study will focus on the school system and participants that support students in the Philippines but will not include students themselves