Teacher development multi-year study series. Report highlights. Timor-Leste: Final Report

The Australian Government is supporting the Government of Timor-Leste to undertake educational reforms through the Partnership for Human Development (PHD) and Apoiu Lideransa liuhosi Mentoria no Apredizajen (ALMA). ALMA enables the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) to develop teacher professional learning to support the implementation of its National Basic Education Curriculum. Under the Teacher Development Multi-Year Study for Timor-Leste, the Education Analytics Service (EAS) is investigating how ALMA is making a difference to teaching and learning outcomes. The new curriculum was developed in 2013 as a staged approach for pre-school to grade 6, with a focus on improving literacy and numeracy, and reducing student drop out. The Teacher Development Multi-Year Study for Timor-Leste seeks to answer the question: To what extent does this aid investment produce improved teaching quality and improved student learning? This brief report presents highlights from the study\u27s findings

Teacher development multi-year study series. Timor-Leste: Final report

The Australian Government is supporting the Government of Timor-Leste in education through the Partnership for Human Development (PHD) and Apoiu Lideransa liuhosi Mentoria no Apredizajen (ALMA). ALMA supports the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) to develop teacher professional learning, particularly in support of its major reform of rolling out and implementing the National Basic Education Curriculum (new curriculum) across schools in Timor-Leste. Under the Teacher Development Multi-Year Study for Timor-Leste (the Study), the Education Analytics Service (EAS) is investigating how ALMA is making a difference to these teaching and learning outcomes. The new curriculum was developed in 2013 as a staged approach for pre-school to grade 6 with a focus on improving literacy and numeracy, as well as reducing student drop out. As presented in this Final Report, there are a number of findings that provide insight into the extent to which teaching practices and student learning outcomes are changing with ALMA’s support of school leaders and teachers and the implementation of the new curriculum. Results from the three years of data collection suggest that the ALMA program has been effective in strengthening elements of teaching quality, curriculum implementation and student learning outcomes

Teacher Development Multi-Year Study Series. Vanuatu: Final Report

The Australian Government is supporting the Government of Vanuatu through its Vanuatu Education Support Program (VESP) to undertake long-term education reforms. A key focus of these reforms is the rollout of a new national curriculum in conjunction with the National Language Policy (2012), intended to improve teaching quality and student learning outcomes for students in the primary and early secondary years of education. Part of a multi-year study series, the Education Analytics Service (EAS) is investigating how the VESP is making a difference to these teaching and learning outcomes. The new primary curriculum has been rolled out to schools in stages by year level, starting with Year 1 in 2016, and is accompanied by the distribution of teaching and learning materials and training. The new curriculum facilitates content uniformity and promotes pedagogical approaches, such as student-centred learning, that aim to transform teaching and learning. The National Language Policy is an important change implemented as part of the new curriculum, allowing agreed local languages to be used throughout the primary years as students make the transition to English or French (MoET, 2012). 1 Phases I and II of the VESP have been integral to the design and implementation of the new primary curriculum. In-service training modules have supported the curriculum rollout. VESP also supports the distribution and development of teaching and learning materials as part of the new curriculum. This study has provided the opportunity to investigate teaching quality and student learning outcomes in Vanuatu linked to the rollout of the national curriculum

Vegetarian diets, maybe not as healthy as you think

Many are approaching vegetarianism as a viable diet option in recent years, presuming that adopting a vegetarian diet would provide health benefits. This paper explores the possibilities of physical and mental effects that vegetarianism may have on humans and its extent by the use of regression analysis. To measure the possible impacts vegetarian diets may hold on both the physiology and physical aspects of humans, we have utilized the measures of life expectancy and prevalence of depression respectively. Cross-sectional data were examined from sources such as the World Health Organization, Our World In Data and the World Bank, with figures on vegetarian adoption rates to be made available on Statista. Current studies on mental health impacts are inconclusive, and many relied on survey data to produce findings. The utilization of cross-sectional data on a macro basis would allow our study to account for regional differences whilst providing an objective result. This study aims to raise awareness of the positive and negative impacts of a vegetarian diet, to assist people to make informed decisions. This would be essential as plant-based diets have been receiving more attention in the media

Teacher development multi-year studies. Insights on the challenges of data availability for measuring and reporting on student learning outcomes

Student learning outcomes are an important source of evidence regarding improved teaching quality. A multi-year teacher development study series was commissioned by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to investigate teacher development initiatives in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos), Timor-Leste and Vanuatu. The overall aim of the study series is to understand the extent to which the Australian investment has improved teaching quality and student learning. This paper outlines the different approaches to sourcing and using data in each country context, and then presents initial insights about the challenges associated with the limited availability of data for measuring and reporting student learning outcomes, as a measure of teacher effectiveness. It presents key lessons learned about conducting research with limited existing student learning outcomes data and offers some solutions to inform programs in other contexts

Teacher development multi-year studies. Emerging themes: Challenges and enablers

The global learning crisis has highlighted the urgent need to improve the quality of education. COVID-19 disruptions have placed even greater focus on the learning improvement agenda, and the need to ensure disadvantaged children are not further left behind. Teacher development, and improving teaching quality, therefore is at the heart of many education systems’ policies and programs. This paper presents some of the key considerations for improving teaching across three countries which are being investigated as part of a multi-year teacher development study series. This study series, commissioned by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), involves the investigation of teacher development initiatives in Timor-Leste, Vanuatu and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos). The overall aim of each study is to investigate: To what extent does the Australian investment produce improved teaching quality and improved student learning

Vanuatu: Policy insights from a multi-year teaching and learning study series

The Australian Government is supporting significant education reforms in Vanuatu. This policy note summarises findings on primary school teacher practice and student learning outcomes, during the first phase of major curriculum changes. Key findings include the need for consistent investment in ongoing professional learning given that new content and pedagogies require significant change and learning for teachers and other education actors. In addition, better engagement with school communities builds understanding of the reforms and encourages greater parental involvement in education. Part of a multi-year study, the Education Analytics Service is investigating how the Vanuatu Education Support Program (VESP) is making a difference to the Government of Vanuatu’s ongoing primary education reforms. The study series was commissioned by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), to investigate teacher and learning development initiatives in three countries: Lao PDR, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu

Teacher development multi-year studies. Using classroom observations to investigate and understand teaching quality: Initial lessons learned

This paper presents some initial lessons learned about the use of classroom observation data as a key form of evidence regarding improved teaching quality in a multi-year teacher development study series. This study series, commissioned by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), involves the investigation of teacher development initiatives that are primarily designed to support the implementation of new primary curriculum in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos), Timor-Leste and Vanuatu. The overall aim of the study series is to understand the extent to which the Australian investment has improved teaching quality and student learning. This paper discusses the processes used to design, implement, analyse and report classroom observation data in the Laos study, and key lessons learned about these that could be applied to other contexts and programs

Lao PDR: Policy insights from a multi-year teaching and learning study series

The Australian Government is supporting significant education reforms in Lao PDR. This policy note summarises baseline findings on primary school teacher practice and student learning outcomes, at a point just prior to major curriculum changes. Key findings 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. Part of a multi-year study series, the Education Analytics Service is investigating how the Basic Education Quality and Access in Laos program (BEQUAL) is making a difference to the Government of Laos’ ongoing primary education reforms. The study series was commissioned by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), to investigate teacher and learning development initiatives in three countries: Lao PDR, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu

Teacher Development Multi-Year Study Series. Evaluation of Australia’s investment in teacher development in Lao PDR: Interim report 1

The Government of Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is undertaking significant primary education reforms, supported by the Australian Government\u27s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through its flagship Basic Education Quality and Access in Laos program (BEQUAL). The Australian Government has commissioned a study to investigate how the BEQUAL program is making a difference to improving teaching quality and student learning outcomes. This research is part of a multi-year study series undertaken by DFAT\u27s Education Analytics Service to investigate teacher and learning development initiatives in three countries: Lao PDR, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu. In 2019, the new curriculum for Lao language and other subjects was introduced for Grade 1 and is being phased in across all five primary grades. The new curriculum promotes teaching practices that support pedagogies focused on student-centred approaches, active learning, assessment of student learning progress, and a phonics approach to teaching reading. Teachers are being provided with teacher guides and other teaching and learning resources, and receive face-to-face orientation on the new curriculum. In BEQUAL-targeted districts, education support grants are also available to facilitate additional in-service support for teachers and principals. This study has provided the opportunity to investigate teaching quality and student literacy outcomes in Lao PDR over two rounds of data collection, with another planned for October 2022. The Baseline Report captured ‘state of play’ information in 2019 prior to major curriculum changes, as well as the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This summary provides an overview of findings and recommendations from the second year (2021) of the study, following two years of BEQUAL support for the implementation of the new Grade 1 Lao language curriculum