Supporting Teacher Autonomy to Improve Education Outcomes : Experimental Evidence from Brazil
What is the impact of greater teacher autonomy on student learning? This paper provides experimental evidence from a program in Brazil. The program supported teachers, through a combination of technical assistance and a small grant, to autonomously...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2020
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/664331598882118514/Supporting-Teacher-Autonomy-to-Improve-Education-Outcomes-Experimental-Evidence-from-Brazil http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34419 |
| Summary: | What is the impact of greater teacher
autonomy on student learning? This paper provides
experimental evidence from a program in Brazil. The program
supported teachers, through a combination of technical
assistance and a small grant, to autonomously develop and
implement an innovative project aimed at engaging their
students. The findings show that the program improved
student learning by 0.15 standard deviation and grade
passing by 13 percent in sixth grade, a critical year of
transition from primary to lower-secondary education. The
paper explores two mechanisms: teacher turnover and student
socio-emotional skills. Teacher turnover is reduced by 20.7
percent, and the impacts on student outcomes are
concentrated in the schools with the largest reductions. The
findings also indicate positive impacts on conscientiousness
and extroversion among the students. The results suggest
that increasing the autonomy of public servants can improve
service delivery, even in a low-capacity context. |
|---|