Impact on learning outcome by effective use of mathematics textbooks structured for increasing academic learning time: Empirical research in El Salvador

Last registered on October 23, 2018

Pre-Trial

General Information

Title

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0003169

Initial registration date

August 19, 2018

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

August 21, 2018, 12:41 AM EDT

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

Last updated

October 23, 2018, 12:16 AM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country

El Salvador

Region

Central America

Primary Investigator

Name

Takao Maruyama

Affiliation

Japan International Cooperation Agency

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Takashi Kurosaki

PI Affiliation

Hitotsubashi University

Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status

On going

Start date

2018-01-01

End date

2019-12-31

Keywords

Education

Additional Keywords

primary education, lower secondary education, mathematics, developing country, teacher training, textbook development, teacher guide, mentoring

JEL code(s)

I20, I24, I28, O12

Secondary IDs

Abstract

This research investigates whether the effective use of mathematics textbooks structured to increase academic learning time improves learning outcome of students of primary and lower secondary education in El Salvador or not. This study targets for the 2nd and the 7th grades students in El Salvador. Cognitive skills of knowing, application and reasoning on all the domains of mathematics are measured by paper test. The students' attitude for learning of mathematics are measured by questionnaire. This study also evaluates whether mentoring and review of teaching practice enhance the behavioral change of teachers on the effective use of the textbooks. The heterogeneity of impact on learning outcome by intervention on students with lower academic performance at the baseline, and with fewer assets at home will be examined.

The textbook and the related material such as teachers' guidebook and exercise book are developed by the Government of El Salvador with technical cooperation by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The mathematics textbooks divided subject contents and put them in appropriate sequence to assure small-step learning by students. The textbooks are also designed to change the time-use by increasing students' work of problem solving and pair learning in class and teachers' support for students.

As the textbooks are developed from 1st to 12th grade, it is expected to generate cumulative impact for students who use the textbook continuously in grades. Field survey of this study is planned to be continued for two years in 2018 and 2019 to examine the cumulative impact on students of treatment group, compared to students of the control group who use the textbook only for 1 year in 2019.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Kurosaki, Takashi and Takao Maruyama. 2018. "Impact on learning outcome by effective use of mathematics textbooks structured for increasing academic learning time: Empirical research in El Salvador." AEA RCT Registry. October 23. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.3169-2.0

Former Citation

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

A package of interventions for enhancing effective use of the textbook structured for increasing academic learning time is composed of i) distribution of textbook, teachers' guidebook and exercise book, ii) in-service teacher training, iii) mentoring of mathematics class of teachers by headmaster, iv) review of teaching practice of mathematics. 2nd and 7th grades are targeted for this evaluation. Regarding the 7th grade, as all the junior secondary schools in El Salvador receive the distribution of textbooks and teachers' guidebook of mathematics newly developed, and all the teachers receive in-service training on the use of textbook, the effectiveness of intervention of distribution of exercise book for increasing learning time at home, and that of mentoring and review of teaching practice for changing teachers' behavior will be identified.

Teachers' guidebooks and exercise books are designed, corresponding to each page and topic of textbook. In-service teacher training is conducted for 2 days, and the contents are presentation of composition of the textbook, and demonstration and practice of mathematics class using the textbook. Trainings for headmaster and representatives of parent association are conducted for half a day, and cover the composition of textbook, the method of mentoring and sensitization of importance of learning at home. Review on teaching method of mathematics is conducted for 3 times a year. Teachers bring the result of test of their students conducted at the end of each trimester, and discuss and analyse for improvement of students' learning.

Intervention Start Date

2018-01-01

Intervention End Date

2018-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

Test score of mathematics of students (total score, score of each domain of mathematics, and score of each cognitive skill), the duration of academic learning time in class, motivation and attitude of students for learning mathematics

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Academic learning time in class is defined as allocated time by teacher for students on problem solving, group or pair work.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Planning and review of annual teaching plan, preparation of teachers for class, time management of teacher at class, support by teachers for enhancing students' learning, subject content knowledge of teachers, learning time of students at home, mentoring activity by headmaster, support by family for enhancing students' learning

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

250 schools are randomly sampled and assigned to treatment group and control group. Each group is composed of 125 schools. The schools where surveyors have a difficulty on conducting field survey because of security concern or physical access are excluded, consulting with the Ministry of Education and Japan International Cooperation Agency in El Salvador. Treatment group receives intervention from January 2018, and control group receives it from January 2019.

Experimental Design Details

Randomization Method

Randomization is done in office by a computer. The method is stratified cluster (one-level) randomization. Stratification variables are rural/urban dummy, and department dummy.

Randomization Unit

Randomization unit is school. If there are several classes at 2nd grade or 7th grade, one of them is randomly selected at each grade.

Was the treatment clustered?

Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

250 schools

Sample size: planned number of observations

Around 4,000 students in 2nd grade and 4,000 students in 7th grade, 250 headmasters and teachers

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

125 schools for treatment group, and 125 schools for control group

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

Minimum Detectable Effect Size for main outcome (test score) is 0.2 SD. It is anticipated that the attrition rate because of security concern in El Salvador is around 10% at the end-line survey.

Supporting Documents and Materials

IRB