Constructing and Measuring Teacher Effectiveness in Global Education Reform

Abstract

The primacy of teacher effects on student achievement has been well documented from a variety of methodological approaches within the field of education research. Governments across the globe have or will address educational equity, especially the education of the poor, by designing programs to attract, train, develop, retain, and study more effective teachers. In their Concept Note, the World Bank also raises “fundamental questions” that balance upon an understanding of the development and measurement of teacher effectiveness. These include question 1: “What are the most important challenges in the next decade for building knowledge and skills for life and work in different country contexts?” and question 3: “What educational results should the Bank be accountable for in the next ten years, and how would we measure these achievements?” In this chapter, we build upon the extensive research that suggests teacher effectiveness ought to be the primary goal of educational reform efforts across the globe. We highlight the complexity of measuring effectiveness, especially across countries and varied contexts for education. We argue that the ways in which effectiveness is measured will have a direct impact on the potential of any reform policy to positively influence the overall effectiveness of a teaching force and the achievement of its students.

Citation

Gabriel, R. and Allington, R. (2012), "Constructing and Measuring Teacher Effectiveness in Global Education Reform", Collins, C.S. and Wiseman, A.W. (Ed.) Education Strategy in the Developing World: Revising the World Bank's Education Policy (International Perspectives on Education and Society, Vol. 16), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 203-228. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3679(2012)0000016014