Does online teacher training work and can incentives help? Evidence for Mathematics in Bangladesh.

Last registered on November 18, 2022
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Does online teacher training work and can incentives help? Evidence for Mathematics in Bangladesh.
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0010328
Initial registration date
November 10, 2022

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
November 18, 2022, 12:34 PM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Bangladesh
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Pierre de Galbert
Affiliation
Brown University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Kumar Biswas
PI Affiliation
World Bank
PI Name
Shwetlena Sabarwal
PI Affiliation
World Bank
PI Name
Carla Glave
PI Affiliation
World Bank
PI Name
T.M. Asaduzzaman
PI Affiliation
World Bank

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2021-04-01
End date
2022-12-31
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
Teacher Training, Online Training, Incentives
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
I20; I21; I25; I28; J45
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This paper discusses findings from a randomized evaluation of an online teacher training program in Bangladesh implemented during COVID-related school closures. Sixth grade math teachers were invited to a three-month online training program for math competencies and pedagogy. One treatment group was invited to participate in the training, the other was also offered a moderate financial incentive tied to performance on an assessment at the end of the training. Short-term results show positive impacts of the program on math knowledge, lesson delivery, and professional burnout two to three months after taking part. In this paper, we will explore long-term impacts of the program on math knowledge, burnout, and teacher self-efficacy, fifteen months later.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Asaduzzaman, T.M. et al. 2022. "Does online teacher training work and can incentives help? Evidence for Mathematics in Bangladesh.." AEA RCT Registry. November 18. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.10328-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention is an online teacher training pilot program conducted during school closures in Bangladesh. The pilot focused on sixth-grade mathematics teachers. The intervention leveraged an online teacher portal, Muktopaath, developed by the Government of Bangladesh’s a2i program. Covering both pedagogy and math content, the training is expected to increase math content knowledge and improve instructional practices. In addition to the training, one treatment group received a moderate financial incentive conditional on passing a math test at the end of the training.
Intervention Start Date
2021-04-01
Intervention End Date
2021-07-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
In the short-term, we focused on three primary outcomes: (i) knowledge of mathematics; (ii) burnout; and (iii) instructional quality, all measured two-three months after the completion of the training.
In the long-run, we will measure (i) math knowledge, (ii) burnout, and (iii) teacher beliefs.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Teacher mathematics knowledge was assessed using multiple-choice items covering the sixth-grade curriculum. The baseline assessment included 40 questions while the midline and endline tests in August 2021 and November 2022 had 30 items each, covering topics from the nine content modules included in the training. All three were developed by the research team in collaboration with local educators for the purpose of the study.

Teacher wellbeing was measured using the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, which includes 16 items on a 4-point Likert scale (Halbesleben & Demerouti, 2005).

Teacher beliefs at endline will be measured using items reflecting on their teaching practices adapted from the TIMSS 2019 questionnaires. These include, for example: How often do you do the following when teaching math lessons? (mention the objective of the lesson; give homework to students);

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Teachers were randomized in three groups: control, treatment arm 1 (T1) and treatment arm 2 (T2). Teachers in T1 were invited to take part in the online training program. Teachers in T2 were invited to take part in the training but also offered a financial incentive based on performance in an end of training assessment. Teachers who answered 75% of questions correctly would be eligible for 15,000 Taka– approximately half of one month salary.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
RCT done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
Teachers were the unit of randomization
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
None
Sample size: planned number of observations
Original sample size: 1598
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Control: 531
Treatment 1: 532
Treatment 2: 535
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB Approval Date
IRB Approval Number
Analysis Plan

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Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials