maths & science community of practice key learnings from ......jun 02, 2015 · key learnings...
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Maths & Science Community of Practice
Key Learnings from social investment interventions in maths and science
2 June 2015
BRIDGE’s role in supporting systems performance
A combination of:
Reviewing, documenting and segmenting
knowledge shared in reflective engagements
(communities of practice)
Reviewing, documenting and segmenting
knowledge shared through research and
evaluations
Developing integrated frameworks, systems, processes, tools, guidelines
How can our system improve maths and science performance?
BRIDGE has identified the drivers supporting success.
Working practice
(from
communities of
practitioners)
Gauteng Education
Development Trust
36 evaluations
7 projects
Thematic lessons in
repository of learnings and
tools
National Education
Collaboration Trust
Evaluations, reports and interviews
A Framework
for Success
Guidelines for the sector
Dimensions of the issue
Where is the Return on Investment? Government, private sector and donors have invested huge amounts of time, energy & money on Maths & Science with little (apparent) ROI in terms of learner outcomes.
Crisis in Maths & Science education Quality of passes Quality of teaching Dropping enrolments Drop out rate Gateway and foundation
subjects: impact on employment and skills development
Problem Areas
• Issues in Foundation Phase (FRF Chairs)
• Learners unable to transition from unit counting to abstract methods (FRF chairs)
• Transition points: uneven levels on entry into High School
• Multigrade classrooms [Dinaldi schools]: • Lack of CAPs coverage
• Falling further behind as you go up the pipeline
• Teacher content knowledge & PCK (FRF; JET ITE)
• Language (NEEDU): • Transition point in medium of instruction
• Learner understanding
• Teacher language
Illustrative Projects
Government Private
Dinaledi Schools Project FRF Maths Chairs (6)
GPLMS Public Schools Maths Challenge
WCED Lit Num Primary Maths Research Project
SSIP Maths Leadership Development Programme
GEDT: DIPIP Primary Science Programme
GEDT: 3 small ICT projects Science Education Project
GEDT: Maths & Science Grants RADMASTE
Projects: Interventions with specified inputs and outcomes
Themes from general literature
Need for an explicit theory of change
Context is key: no one size fits all
Identify ‘performance stage’ [poor/fair/good/excellent]
Targeting under-skilled teachers
“…. systems would do well to learn from those at a similar stage of the journey, rather than those that are at significantly different levels of performance.” (McKinsey 2012).
“Scaffolding that provides guidance on both what teachers should teach and how they should do it has proven effective in enhancing the skills of low-performing students.” (NBER 2014) [GPLMS]
General themes contd.
Unexamined assumptions/ theoretical starting points (e.g. re: how kids learn; acquisition of reading skills; pedagogical practices ….)
Approaches to maths education (e.g. importance of language; role of streaming; error analsyis; PCK ….)
Perceptions & confidence i.r.o maths
Importance of evaluations & meta-evaluations
7 Critical Drivers
CRITICAL DRIVERS FOR MAXIMISING IMPACT
Intervention Areas
Systemic Impact
Going to scale
Sustainability
Monitoring & Evaluation
Collaboration
Cost Effectiveness
Intervention Areas
Systems scope
National, provincial, district, cluster, school type: under-performing schools, high-performing schools, rural, urban, township, special needs schools …..
Phase / Level Foundation phase, Intermediate phase, Senior phase or FET phase; multigrade or a specific grade ….
Project Type Leadership or school management team development, teacher development (ITE or INSET), learner support, physical or materials resources (including ICTs), whole school interventions, or a combination of these elements …..
Focus Some examples: methodology, pedagogical content knowledge, content knowledge, study skills, leadership, school management ………
Outcome improvement type
Quality of passes, numbers of passes, number of entrants, number of capacitated teachers …….
Key Learnings on Intervention Areas
• Use a conceptual or decision framework to decide on scope, level, target audience, project type, dosage and project outcomes.
• Dosage must be appropriate and must be monitored [GEDT ICT projects]
• Understand where an intervention is situated in relation to the bigger picture.
• Be informed by lessons learned from previous projects, in relation to planning and implementation of different project types. [Teacher development lessons]
Zenex 2013
Systemic Impact
The notion of ‘impact’ is related to bringing about change in school systems and sub-systems. …. interventions need to be formalised into support from national, provincial and district levels in key areas (e.g. curriculum, institutional support) in order to have long term systemic impact.
The ongoing involvement and support of a province as part of normal practice is the only way in which interventions can be judged as systemic and sustainable, as they then become part of the norm. The constant use of external facilitators or support personnel does not represent systemic impact, and is not a long-term solution.
Key Learnings on Systemic Impact
Have a thorough understanding of the components and inter-
relationships of the schooling system.
Clearly define roles and responsibilities of the different levels of
the department and other partners and stakeholders at the start of
a project.
Clearly define accountability processes.
Plan for long term institutionalization and embedding of processes
which support positive outcomes. [SSIP]
Build in handover and transfer procedures to support post-project
systemic sustainability.
Sustainability
Plan for sustainability, in that the outcomes of a successful intervention continue to be
implemented in the school/s concerned long after the
project ends.
Key Learnings on Sustainability
• Make sure that the beneficiaries see value in the intervention, so that positive attitudes and commitment support sustainability (GEDT M&Science].
• Build in leadership for continuity.
• Allow time for embedding and internalizing changes in practice. [GPLMS]
• Plan for some form of information sharing and monitoring after the project has officially closed. [PSP]
Going to Scale
Increasing the number of
beneficiaries
Increasing the number impact sites
Replicating projects in different
contexts
There is more than one way of achieving scale.
Social franchising models
Pilot and evaluate before going to scale. [FRF]
Roll out in stages, using an iterative process to understand the
success and barrier factors when a project is scaled up.
Grow leaders and champions from within the project as you go to
scale.
Don’t limit understanding of scale to increasing the number of sites
only; consider alternative models such as collaboration or
replication of small projects.
Take systemic factors and relationships into account.
Key Lessons on going to Scale
Monitoring & Evaluation
‘Clearly, ‘more of the same’ is a waste of resources, and we need to focus on how to maximise the effect of education interventions in the fields of mathematics and science. In order to do this we need more data, and an enhanced understanding of the nature of evaluation data and how to interpret it.’
Lack of evidence-based impact & evaluation data tracking what works and what doesn’t from interventions and innovations over the last twenty years.
- What is impact?
- When can it be seen?
- How do you measure it?
- How do we learn from evaluations?
Key Learnings on M&E
Bring in professional evaluation experts at the design stage.
Use the right data gathering mechanisms for monitoring and impact evaluation pre-, during and post-project.
Allocate sufficient budget for monitoring and evaluation.
Build a research component into projects.
Contribute to evaluation repositories or databases
Understand types, levels and options for collaboration.
Identify successful NGOs or other social partners with a track
record in your area of interest.
Learn from other interventions.
Share information and resources.
Key Learnings on Collaboration
Key Learnings on Cost Effectiveness
• Invest in systemic and sustainable interventions - become part of normal delivery.
• Use criteria for selection i.r.o. school functionality
• Use criteria for the appointment of implementation partners or service providers.
• Be informed: avoid repeating ineffective interventions or duplicating existing projects.
• Use good practice costing and budgeting models for financial management and project accountability.
Tools & Guidelines Guidelines on Key Lessons for:
Teacher Development interventions
Learner Support interventions
ICTs interventions
School Leadership and Management
Guidelines for the Management of Stakeholders
Guidelines for Determining School Functionality
Guidelines for Evaluation
Databases / Information Repositories
Guidelines for Collaboration
A Checklist of First Principles for School Interventions
Guidelines for Selecting Intervention Phase or Level
Guidelines on working with the Department
Facts and statistics about maths and science
Practical Tools & Guidelines for Social Investors