Module overview
Hardly any country is not undergoing or has not undergone education reforms at various levels today. In that case, how is school-based management implemented similarly or differently in the Philippines and that in Columbia? What are the best ways to support teachers in China or Kenya, apart from trying to hold them accountable through discipline and control? Though without simple, clear-cut answers, these are a few sample questions that we will examine together at different stages of the module. This is an optional module for Year 2 and Year 3 undergraduate students of the Department of Politics and International Relations. It is designed to be a learning journey that invites students to critically reflect and debate on the issues and challenges surrounding governance reforms of basic education. By exposing students to education policy and practices around the world and especially in developing countries, this module intends to prepare students into a learned consumer of the vast amount of empirical evidence on education policy interventions. Students are also required or encouraged to practice throughout the term a wide range of skills such as presentation, writing, research and public speaking essential for a successful career in the policy world.
The module is structured into three distinctive components. We will first examine why and how basic education matters from the perspective of economic growth, technological change as well as other aspects of socio-economic development. Attention will then be paid to how different parts of the world have strived to achieve what kind of good education outcomes. We will zoom into several common policy instruments adopted worldwide regarding their theoretical justifications, actual performance and the (mis-)match between the two. As this reviewing exercise highlights the importance of governance and accountability, how to strengthen these aspects will also be explored with an explicit awareness of different local contexts in the last part.
No prerequisites are required for the module. It would nevertheless be a plus if students have some basic knowledge in political economy of development, policy studies and/or research methods.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Understand the merits and limitations of individual policy instruments used in education policy reforms and how these are related to what kind of local contexts.
- Know the latest trends and developments in education reforms around the world.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Deliver viewpoints and arguments clearly and convincingly in both speaking and writing, individually or as a team.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Assess the quality of evidence generated from education policy research using various methods.
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Critically review and analyze issues related to education policy and governance, both individually and as a team
Syllabus
PART I. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
Week 1 Overview of the Course
No Required Readings.
Week 2 The “Basics” of Basic Education
Concepts to be covered in the lecture: Learning; Human Capital; Capability
Guiding questions for class: Why and how is basic education important? How do we know it? Is education conducive to growth? Why (not)? What are the social benefits of education (on health, labor participation etc.)?
Required Readings:
- Kremer, M., Brannen, C., & Glennerster, R. (2013). The challenge of education and learning in the developing world. Science, 340(6130), 297-300.
- Hanushek, E. A., & Woessmann, L. (2008). The role of cognitive skills in economic development. Journal of Economic Literature, 607-668. [Key words: Review, Cognitive skills, Global]
Further Readings and Materials:
- Banerjee, A. V., & Duflo, E. (2011). Poor economics: A radical rethinking of the way to fight global poverty. Public Affairs. CHAPTER 4.
- Duflo, E. (2004). The medium-run effects of educational expansion. Evidence from a large school construction program. Journal of Development Economics, 74(1) [Experiment, Labor Market, Indonesia]
- Cutler, D. M., & Lleras-Muney, A. (2010). Understanding differences in health behaviors by education. Journal of health economics, 29(1), 1-28.
- Harrison, G. W. (2011). Randomisation and its discontents. Journal of African Economies, 20(4), 626-652. [Methodological debate]
PART II. COMMON INSTRUMENTS USED IN EDUCATION REFORMS
Week 3- Input-based Interventions: Does “More of the same” Work?
Does providing textbooks, laptops and other inputs to students work in improving their learning? Why (not)? Are there similar examples from your country? To your knowledge/ observation, how are students and teachers reacting to those inputs? What should be done to improve the reception?
Required Readings:
- Glewwe, P., Kremer, M., & Moulin, S. (2009). Many children left behind? Textbooks and test scores in Kenya. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 1(1), 112-135. [RCT, Textbook, Kenya]
- Cristia, J. P, Ibarraran, P., Cueto, S., Santiago, A., & Severin, E. (2012). Technology and Child Development: Evidence from the One Laptop Per Child Program. IZA Discussion Paper 6401.
Further Readings:
- Pritchett, L. (2014). The risks to education systems from design mismatch and global isomorphism. WIDER Working Paper 2014/039. [Reflection, India]
- Das, J., Dercon. S, Habyarimana, J., Krishnan, P., Muralidharan, K., & Sundararaman, V. (2013). "School Inputs, Household Substitution, and Test Scores." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics no. 5 (2):29-57.
Week 4- Marketization and School Choice
Policy instrument; school vouchers; “vote with feet”
What is the rationale behind market-oriented reforms? Under what circumstances and for whom does it work?
Required Readings:
- Epple, D., Romano, R. E., & Urquiola, M. (2017). School vouchers: A survey of the economics literature. Journal of Economic Literature, 55(2), 441-92.
- Garcia, D. R. (2011). The Achilles' heel of school choice policies: The obstacles to reporting school accountability results to parents. Journal of School Choice, 5(1), 66-84.
Further Readings:
- Hastings, J. S., & Weinstein, J. M. (2008). Information, school choice, and academic achievement: Evidence from two experiments. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 123(4), 1373-1414. [Natural/field experiment, information, U.S.]
- Alderman, H., Orazem, P. F., & Paterno, E. M. (2001). School quality, school cost, and the public/private school choices of low-income households in Pakistan. Journal of Human Resources 36 (2): 304-326. [Random sampling, (private) school fees and distance, Pakistan]
Week 5- Educational Decentralization
School-based management; Autonomy; Local information; Policy capacity
What is the rationale behind decentralization and school-based management reforms? Under which circumstances and contexts are decentralization reforms more likely to work and why? Which tasks in education are more suitable for (de-)centralization? Why?
Required Readings:
- Hanushek, E. A., Link, S., & Woessmann, L. (2013). Does school autonomy make sense everywhere? Panel estimates from PISA. Journal of Development Economics, 104, 212-232. [Global]
- Gershberg, A. I., González, P. A., & Meade, B. (2012). Understanding and improving accountability in education: A conceptual framework and guideposts from three decentralization reform experiences in Latin America. World Development, 40(5), 1024-1041. [Case study, Latin America]
Further Readings:
- Channa, A., & Faguet, J. P. (2016). Decentralization of health and education in developing countries: A quality-adjusted review of the empirical literature. The World Bank Research Observer, 31(2), 199-241. [Review, Global]
- Galiani, S., Gertler, P., & Schargrodsky, E. (2008). School decentralization: Helping the good get better, but leaving the poor behind. Journal of Public Economics, 92(10), 2106-2120. [DID, inequality, Argentina]
- Gertler, P., Patrinos. H. & Codina.M.R. (2007). "Methodological Issues in the Evaluation of School -Based Management Reforms."
Available at http://www.ifs.org.uk/edepo/rubio_methodological.pdf [methodological issues]
PART III. MAKING REFORMS WORK BEFORE AND AFTER COVID-19
Week 6- Overview of Educational Governance and Accountability
Governance; Accountability
What is governance and accountability in basic education?
Required Readings:
- Mbiti, I. M. (2016). The need for accountability in education in developing countries. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 30(3), 109-132. [Review, Accountability, Global]
- Yan, Y. (2019). Making accountability work in basic education: reforms, challenges and the role of the government. Policy Design and Practice, 2(1), 90-102.
Further Readings and Materials:
- Bruns, B., Filmer, D., & Patrinos, H. A. (2011). Making schools work: New evidence on accountability reforms. World Bank Publications. CHAPTER 1&5.
- Capano, G., Howlett, M., & Ramesh, M. (2015). Bringing governments back in: Governance and governing in comparative policy analysis. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 17:4, 311-321, DOI: 10.1080/13876988.2015.1031977. [Governance, Government, Comparative]
Week 7- Accountability as Discipline/Punishment, Control or “Threat”
Principal-agent problem; information asymmetry; threat-induced improvement
What are the potential side-effects or unintended consequences for control-based accountability mechanisms? How can we mitigate them? Are those measures always feasible and sustainable?
Required Readings:
- Jacob, B. A. (2005). “Accountability, incentives and behavior: the impact of high-stakes testing in the Chicago Public Schools.” Journal of Public Economics, 89: 761-796. [United States]
- de Wolf, I. F., & Janssens, F. J. (2007). Effects and side effects of inspections and accountability in education: an overview of empirical studies. Oxford Review of education, 33(3), 379-396.
- Aiyar, Y. & Bhattacharya, S. (2015). The Post-Office State. The Caravan: A Journal of Politics and Culture. 1st March 2015. Available at: http://www.caravanmagazine.in/perspectives/post-office-state-education-bureaucratic
Further Readings and Materials:
- Kane, T. J., & Staiger, D. O. (2002). The promise and pitfalls of using imprecise school accountability measures. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 16(4), 91-114.
- Bruns, B., Macdonald, I. H., & Schneider, B. R. (2019). The politics of quality reforms and the challenges for SDGs in education. World Development, 118, 27-38.
Week 8- Three Hours of In-Class Debate
Week 9- Supporting Teachers to Work Better
Performance pay; Incentives; Public service motivation; incentive-compatibility
How do different rewarding schemes match with teacher incentives? What are the potential pitfalls? How is the support in the form of teacher in-service training and promotion different from financial instruments such as performance pay?
Required Readings:
- Muralidharan, K. & Venkatesh S. (2011). “Performance pay: Experimental evidence from India.” Journal of Political Economy, 119(1): 39-77. [Key words: Field experiment, Performance pay, India]
- Yan, Y., & Saguin, K. (2021). Policy capacity matters for capacity development: comparing teacher in-service training and career advancement in basic education systems of India and China. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 87(2), 294-310.
Further Readings and Materials:
- Podgursky, M. J., & Springer, M. G. (2007). Teacher performance pay: A review. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 26(4), 909-950.
- Glewwe, P., Ilias, N. & Kremer, M. (2010). “Teacher Incentives” American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2(3): 205-27. [Key words: RCT, Performance Pay, Kenya]
- Piper, B., & Zuilkowski, S. S. (2015). Teacher coaching in Kenya: Examining instructional support in public and non-formal schools. Teaching and Teacher Education, 47, 173-183.
- Karachiwalla, N., & Park, A. (2017). Promotion incentives in the public sector: Evidence from Chinese schools. Journal of Public Economics, 146, 109-128. [Tournament model, promotion, China]
- Bautista, A., Wong, J., & Gopinathan, S. (2015). “Teacher professional development in Singapore: Depicting the landscape”. Psychology, Society and Education, 7(3), 311-326.
Week 10- A System Approach to Studying Education Policy and Reforms
Required Readings:
- Yan, Y., Sano, H., & Sumiya, L. A. (2023). Policy capacity matters for education system reforms: a comparative study of two Brazilian states. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 25(2), 253-281.
- Silberstein, J., & Spivack, M. (2023). Applying Systems Thinking to Education: Using the RISE Systems Framework to Diagnose Education Systems. RISE Insight Series, 21, 028.
Further Readings and Materials:
- Kioupi, V., & Voulvoulis, N. (2019). Education for sustainable development: A systemic framework for connecting the SDGs to educational outcomes. Sustainability, 11(21), 6104.
Week 11- Leaving No One Behind: Education Policy for Disadvantaged Populations
Required Readings:
- Evans, D. K., & Yuan, F. (2022). What we learn about girls’ education from interventions that do not focus on girls. The World Bank Economic Review, 36(1), 244-267.
- Power, A., Coverdale, A., Croydon, A., Hall, E., Kaley, A., Macpherson, H., & Nind, M. (2022). Personalisation policy in the lives of people with learning disabilities: a call to focus on how people build their lives relationally. Critical Social Policy, 42(2), 220-240.
Week 12- Building Back Better? Education Policy and Reforms beyond the Pandemic
Required Readings:
- Chanduvi, J. S., Jenkins, R., Dewan, P., Reuge, N., Yao, H., Alejo, A., ... & Bergmann, J. (2022). Where Are We on Education Recovery?. UNICEF.
- Zancajo, A., Verger, A., & Bolea, P. (2022). Digitalization and beyond: the effects of Covid-19 on post-pandemic educational policy and delivery in Europe. Policy and Society, 41(1), 111-128.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
The total class time contains 12 weekly sessions in the term. The weekly sessions will begin with the lectures that gives an overview of the topic, of which lectures for Parts 1 and 2 will last for one hour, and those for Part 3 last for two hours. A seminar of 1 hour will be held the next day, whereas up to 176 hours of independent study are expected outside the session time. The seminars will contain interactive activities such as discussions, debates, and small-group exercises, to facilitate a more in-depth understanding of what is covered in the lecture. In both lectures and seminars, the convener will utilize an abundant number of real-world examples from the existing literature as well as her own research and field work experiences in China, India, Brazil and Singapore. For the lecture part, this module also features a few guest lectures from both internal and external speakers, the details of which will be announced at the beginning of the term.
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Seminar | 12 |
Independent Study | 100 |
Lecture | 18 |
Total study time | 130 |
Assessment
Assessment strategy
The following assignments and class participation will be assessed to determine module grades:
ComponentWeightDue Date
Final 2-hour open-book exam60%During the exam week
In-class Debate30%In-class of Week 8
Seminar Participation10%Throughout the term
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Seminar Participation | 10% |
Group presentation | 30% |
Written exam | 60% |