Accountability, capacity and trust to improve learning outcomes in South Africa; a systems approach
Lead Research Organisation:
VU Amsterdam
Department Name: Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sci
Abstract
South Africa has a long history of oppression and apartheid which have led to great inequalities, despite South Africa's classification as an upper-middle income country (World Bank, 2008). 26 years after the fall of apartheid, the systematic racial segregation practiced under apartheid, in conjunction with an overtly white supremacist ideology still has a profound impact on South Africa's society as well as its education system (Spaull, 2012). Howie (2012) explains how South Africa struggles with a widening performance gap between rich and poor students and high levels of drop out, particularly among black Africans. Spaull's (2012) analysis of SACMEQ III data shows that students in the 25% wealthiest schools are far more likely to have their own textbook, receive homework frequently and experience less teacher absenteeism compared to the poorest 75% of schools. The distribution of resources and capital still privileges white South Africans, according to Nattrass and Seekings (2001) and Spaull (2012) and essentially divides the country and the education system into two nations.
Several authors point to problematic accountability relationships and a lack of trust and capacity in the South African education system as key issues in the lack of improvement of learning outcomes. Spaull (2001) for example explains how the national, provincial and local levels of government are not held accountable for their use of public resources, and how there are few (if any) tangible consequences for non-performance or to address the high rates of teacher absenteeism and low rates of curriculum coverage. Eddy Spicer, Ehren et al's (2016) systematic review also points to lack of teacher accountability in South Africa as school-based registers of teachers' attendance are not checked and national government fails to sanction teachers who are often absent.
Lack of trust inhibits the implementation of effective assessment and inspection systems as teacher unions, for example, reject inspections of teachers and block the publication of assessment data, while lack of capacity subsequently prevents district managers, area managers, principals, heads of department and teachers to effectively use the data that is available (see Eddy Spicer, Ehren et al, 2016; Howie, 2012). This 'vicious' cycle of distrust, lack of accountability and lack of capacity renders the system powerless to improve and creates a series of 'binding constraints' (e.g. weak institutional functionality, undue union influence) that need to be addressed in order to improve learning outcomes, according to Van der Berg et al (2016).
These examples highlight the need to understand the intricate relations between accountability, capacity and trust and how these relations produce (or fail to produce) a pattern of change in learning outcomes over time and create a divided unequal system. We aim to study these relations in South Africa's public primary education system in three phases: 1) Social network analysis of the (accountability and trust) relations and flow of resources in a low and high performing school in quintile 1 and 5 (20% of schools in most deprived and wealthy areas), 2) A focus group in which we will map the causal loops which describe how trust, capacity and accountability interconnect through a series of balancing and/or reinforcing feedback loops and how these loops have (in the past) produced (or failed to produce) a pattern of change in learning outcomes and have created large inequity in the system, and 3) Collecting quantitative (assessment and questionnaire data) to test the causal loops via longitudinal path models and multiple-indicator multiple-cause (MIMIC) models.
Several authors point to problematic accountability relationships and a lack of trust and capacity in the South African education system as key issues in the lack of improvement of learning outcomes. Spaull (2001) for example explains how the national, provincial and local levels of government are not held accountable for their use of public resources, and how there are few (if any) tangible consequences for non-performance or to address the high rates of teacher absenteeism and low rates of curriculum coverage. Eddy Spicer, Ehren et al's (2016) systematic review also points to lack of teacher accountability in South Africa as school-based registers of teachers' attendance are not checked and national government fails to sanction teachers who are often absent.
Lack of trust inhibits the implementation of effective assessment and inspection systems as teacher unions, for example, reject inspections of teachers and block the publication of assessment data, while lack of capacity subsequently prevents district managers, area managers, principals, heads of department and teachers to effectively use the data that is available (see Eddy Spicer, Ehren et al, 2016; Howie, 2012). This 'vicious' cycle of distrust, lack of accountability and lack of capacity renders the system powerless to improve and creates a series of 'binding constraints' (e.g. weak institutional functionality, undue union influence) that need to be addressed in order to improve learning outcomes, according to Van der Berg et al (2016).
These examples highlight the need to understand the intricate relations between accountability, capacity and trust and how these relations produce (or fail to produce) a pattern of change in learning outcomes over time and create a divided unequal system. We aim to study these relations in South Africa's public primary education system in three phases: 1) Social network analysis of the (accountability and trust) relations and flow of resources in a low and high performing school in quintile 1 and 5 (20% of schools in most deprived and wealthy areas), 2) A focus group in which we will map the causal loops which describe how trust, capacity and accountability interconnect through a series of balancing and/or reinforcing feedback loops and how these loops have (in the past) produced (or failed to produce) a pattern of change in learning outcomes and have created large inequity in the system, and 3) Collecting quantitative (assessment and questionnaire data) to test the causal loops via longitudinal path models and multiple-indicator multiple-cause (MIMIC) models.
Planned Impact
Our impact strategy is set to promote more positive and effective accountability relationships in South Africa's public primary education system with the goal of improving learning outcomes of disadvantaged children and close achievement gaps. Our study will highlight where relationships need to be improved mostly and in what way to improve learning outcomes, but initial scoping of the South African landscape and conversations with key stakeholders suggest that an overall lack of trust in the system, and particularly between national authorities (Department for Basic Education), teacher unions, principals, and teachers are key to improving relationships.
These stakeholders are the main beneficiaries of our work, specifically:
- Department of Basic Education
- SACE (South Africa Council for Educators, responsible for registering educators, CPD and code of professional ethics)
- National Association of School Governing Bodies
- Provincial Education Department
- District-level authority/circuit manager
- Support services (e.g. MIET Africa, SAPESI)
- Developers of annual assessments (grade 3 and 6), and international assessments (TIMSS, SACMEQ, PIRLS)
- District Officials and Subject Advisors, NEEDU
- Teacher unions (South African Democratic Teachers Union, Sadtu; National Teachers Union, Natu; National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa, Naptosa; the Professional Educators Union, PEU; SA Onderwys Unie, SAOU).
By the end of this project we aim to have supported these key stakeholders in:
- Building the capacity (financial and material resources, knowledge and skills) and trust to implement well-functioning assessment and inspection systems, and
- Developing effective ways to share and use data and feedback from national and international assessments and school inspections
With the purpose of improving learning outcomes of disadvantaged students.
Our research activities are set up in a manner that allows us to build constructive and collaborative relationships with key stakeholders, where building trust and buy-in is a key strategy from the start of the project.
Our impact strategy includes three strategies:
1) Trust building and stakeholder engagement (through involvement of key stakeholders in research activities, working with an advisory board and our co-investigator JET Education Services). Our pathways of impact start with building relationships though our one-on-one interviews with all these stakeholders at the start of the project, and their involvement as participants on a stakeholder group throughout the project.
2) Knowledge transfer and mobilization (academic papers, written briefings and press releases, video clips, published on YouTube, OpenLearn, plugged through personal and institutional twitter accounts and our project website, and linked to BBC iPlayer, JET bulletins and learning briefs and UNESCO/UNEVOC network),
3) Capability and capacity-building (seminar, workshops incorporated in existing teaching activities, and informing initial teacher training and development of teaching standards).
We have already received letters of support for our project from the main accountability body, the South African Council of Educators (SACE), and one of the main teacher unions, SADTU.
These stakeholders are the main beneficiaries of our work, specifically:
- Department of Basic Education
- SACE (South Africa Council for Educators, responsible for registering educators, CPD and code of professional ethics)
- National Association of School Governing Bodies
- Provincial Education Department
- District-level authority/circuit manager
- Support services (e.g. MIET Africa, SAPESI)
- Developers of annual assessments (grade 3 and 6), and international assessments (TIMSS, SACMEQ, PIRLS)
- District Officials and Subject Advisors, NEEDU
- Teacher unions (South African Democratic Teachers Union, Sadtu; National Teachers Union, Natu; National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa, Naptosa; the Professional Educators Union, PEU; SA Onderwys Unie, SAOU).
By the end of this project we aim to have supported these key stakeholders in:
- Building the capacity (financial and material resources, knowledge and skills) and trust to implement well-functioning assessment and inspection systems, and
- Developing effective ways to share and use data and feedback from national and international assessments and school inspections
With the purpose of improving learning outcomes of disadvantaged students.
Our research activities are set up in a manner that allows us to build constructive and collaborative relationships with key stakeholders, where building trust and buy-in is a key strategy from the start of the project.
Our impact strategy includes three strategies:
1) Trust building and stakeholder engagement (through involvement of key stakeholders in research activities, working with an advisory board and our co-investigator JET Education Services). Our pathways of impact start with building relationships though our one-on-one interviews with all these stakeholders at the start of the project, and their involvement as participants on a stakeholder group throughout the project.
2) Knowledge transfer and mobilization (academic papers, written briefings and press releases, video clips, published on YouTube, OpenLearn, plugged through personal and institutional twitter accounts and our project website, and linked to BBC iPlayer, JET bulletins and learning briefs and UNESCO/UNEVOC network),
3) Capability and capacity-building (seminar, workshops incorporated in existing teaching activities, and informing initial teacher training and development of teaching standards).
We have already received letters of support for our project from the main accountability body, the South African Council of Educators (SACE), and one of the main teacher unions, SADTU.
Organisations
- VU Amsterdam (Lead Research Organisation)
- Aarhus University (Collaboration)
- NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- UNICEF (Collaboration)
- University of Portsmouth (Collaboration)
- University of London (Collaboration)
- Umea University (Collaboration)
- University of Jyväskylä (Collaboration)
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD (Collaboration)
- Educational Leaders (Collaboration)
- Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA (Collaboration)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Collaboration)
- Johannes Kepler University of Linz (Collaboration)
Publications
Baxter J
(2020)
Dr Jacqueline Baxter, Editor in Chief, interviews Dr Tracey Burns of the OECD about the impact of COVID-19 on education across OECD countries
in Management in Education
Baxter J
(2019)
Strategic narrative in multi-academy trusts in England: Principal drivers for expansion
in British Educational Research Journal
Baxter J
(2019)
Governing collaborations: how boards engage with their communities in multi-academy trusts in England
in Public Management Review
| Description | Our study findings show how school staff in high and low performing primary schools in South Africa understand trust and accountability and the extent to which organisational trust and formal and informal systems and cultures of accountability vary across both types of schools. Trust Respondents in both high and low performing schools have similar understandings of trust with no significant differences between low and high performing schools in agreement in trust ratings. In both types of schools 'doesn't lie' and 'means well and 'tries to do the right thing' score high, while 'reputation' and 'returning a favour' are considered less important. These findings suggest that, across schools and regardless of the level of performance, integrity is of key importance in how school staff come to trust someone else, more so than competence or benevolence; two other elements of our commonly used trust definition. Accountability There is more variation between low and high performing schools in how staff understand accountability. School staff in high performing schools understand accountability as taking (pro-active) responsibility for one's work and role, particularly to ensure student learning and well-being, being transparent and open about mistakes towards colleagues and the school management team, practicing what you preach and doing what you promised to do. The understanding of accountability in these schools is clearly linked to a sense of professionalism where staff feel agentive in determining the quality of their school. This in contrast to how staff in low performing schools tend to describe accountability, for example with reference to compliance, subjugation and implementation of specific tasks and activities as directed by those in line management positions, and/or external policy (including CAPS). Capacity School staff understanding of accountability and variation between low and high performing schools can also be seen in how they organize their internal quality control. High performing schools tend to have relatively well functioning internal systems for decision-making and discussing problems, where staff are involved in or consulted about decisions, and are encouraged to follow the line of command to report problems. These systems include relatively well-organized systems for planning and monitoring, informed by the IQMS, and reporting to the district with grade/subject meetings to moderate assessments (sometimes including an item analysis), discuss assessment outcomes and learner progress, classroom observations, checking of book and teacher files and logging teacher/learner attendance in a school management system (SA SAMS/principal primary). Internal decision-making and monitoring in low performing schools is overall much less developed with various examples of nepotism, conflict, unsafe culture to discuss complaints in which problems are immediately escalated to (in case of parents) the principal or the district (by teachers). Monitoring and evaluation in these schools is implemented to comply with district requirements but doesn't seem to inform improvement on the school level or further support by the district but only done for reporting purposes. |
| Exploitation Route | The findings indicate how accountability is understood differently across low and high performing schools and how this influences the agencies of teachers in improving their school. |
| Sectors | Education |
| URL | https://www.jet.org.za/work/project-showcase/accountability-in-education/accountability-capacity-and-trust-to-improve-learning-outcomes-in-south-africa-a-systems-approach |
| Description | Our theoretical framework on the relation between trust, accountability and capacity was taken up last year by various policy-makers across the world in reflecting why education reform is or is not successful. We were invited on a number of occasions to present findings and conversations with international colleagues also culminated in an edited book with a website with video interviews. http://business-school.open.ac.uk/research/projects/trust-capacity-and-accountability/book |
| First Year Of Impact | 2020 |
| Sector | Education |
| Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
| Description | REOS webinar |
| Geographic Reach | Africa |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | We provided examples of good practice of how schools can build high trust relations with the local community which improve learner outcomes. this led to further reports published by REOS. |
| URL | https://reospartners.com/building-together-for-our-children-lessons-from-a-journey-of-collaboration/ |
| Description | UNESCO IIEP advice mid-term strategy |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Impact | The PI advised on how to create value by changing the way UNESCO IIEP works with national governments which is currently through a portfolio of short-term training programmes but which should include more sustainable solutions which have a more long-term effect. |
| Description | Teacher accountability to improve learning outcomes; synthesis of 4 RLO-studies |
| Amount | £106,460 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ES/X013987/1 |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2023 |
| End | 01/2025 |
| Title | Interview guidelines to measure trust, capacity and accountability in qualitative case studies |
| Description | We have developed a template to measure trust, capacity and accountability in qualitative case studies in primary schools. The template can be adapted to specific professional roles in schools (e.g. teacher, principal, HOD). |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The template was published recently and we have not yet seen any impact. |
| URL | https://www.jet.org.za/work/project-showcase/accountability-in-education |
| Title | Online research lab |
| Description | We developed the methodology of online research lab to develop a conceptual framework and engage in data collection and analysis in an online environment. Online research labs are collaborative research initiatives structured around a set of webinars with further research activities in between sessions to analyse and share data from existing studies and work towards a joint outcome. The method was developed to continue comparative research in a time where international travel is restricted due to COVID-19 and concerns about climate change. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The method is incorporated in the offer of activities of ICSEI, the International Conference for School Effectiveness and Improvement and taken on by their members to continue international comparative work. |
| URL | https://www.icsei.net/networks/cren/online-research-labs/ |
| Title | Script for group model building to construct causal loop diagrams which explain high inequality in education systems |
| Description | The group model building script allows facilitators to work with a group of stakeholders to come to understand the persistence of inequalities in the education system and how these are linked to broader cultural, social, economic and political dynamics in South Africa. |
| Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | 4) February 2019: we held 3 one day group model building sessions with: a. 10 district curriculum managers and subject advisors from KwaZulu Natal b. 10 teachers from high and low performing schools in KwaZulu Natal c. Academics and practitioners working on school accountability and improvement. In these sessions we constructed a causal loop diagram to explain the high inequality across the system. The sessions informed our research but also helped participants develop a shared understanding of barriers for change within their own context, allowing them to share good practices and build trust to enable more effective accountability and collaboration across the system. |
| Title | Survey to measure professionalism, professional accountability organisational metaphors, and school relations |
| Description | We developed a survey to measure professionalism, professional accountability organisational metaphors, and school relations. The survey can be administered online (desktop) as well as by mobile phone. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | We just published and administered the survey so no impact yet. |
| URL | https://www.jet.org.za/work/project-showcase/accountability-in-education |
| Title | Survey to measure relations of trust, accountability and capacity-building in schools |
| Description | We developed a survey to measure relations of trust, accountability and capacity-building in schools. The findings allow us to understand if trust and accountability can be part of the same relationship and how this affects a school's capacity to improve. For example: do individuals who trust each other, also hold each other accountable for the outcomes and quality of their work, or does high trust prevent meaningful accountability? does trust support improvement and professional development, and how? The survey needs to be personalized for staff working in a school so as to measure their detailed interactions with other individuals in the school. |
| Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The findings from the survey allows us to understand the networks in schools, and particularly relations of trust, accountability and capacity-building. Comparing these networks for different schools helps us understand the type of relations that contribute to high learning outcomes, and also whether school staff can both trust one another and hold one another accountable, and how this would improve school outcomes. |
| URL | https://www.jet.org.za/accountability-in-education |
| Title | Trust cross cultural exercise |
| Description | This exercise measures how people understand trust across different cultures. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The measure was just published so no notable impact yet. |
| URL | https://www.jet.org.za/work/project-showcase/accountability-in-education |
| Title | Trust exercise |
| Description | We developed a trust exercise which allows us to understand how individuals understand 'trust' and how and why they trust someone else. Administering the brief exercise allows us to understand how individuals in one organization (e.g. school) have different or similar understandings of trust and how this would support or prevent their effective collaboration. A comparison across individuals with different cultural/racial/socio-economic backgrounds and in different organisations also allows us to understand how understandings of trust vary across those dimensions. |
| Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The tool has been used in our project and helped us in understanding the various ways in which school staff understand trust, how this links to how they are being held accountable or engage with internal and external accountability and how differences amongst staff in understandings of trust inhibit collaboration. |
| URL | https://www.jet.org.za/accountability-in-education |
| Description | Consortium of academic colleagues writing up country cases on 'trust, accountability and capacity as conditions for education system improvement' |
| Organisation | Aarhus University |
| Department | Danish School of Education |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We hosted a workshop on the 12th of October 2018 for academic colleagues and practitioners from US, the UK, South Africa, Chile, Israel, Austria, Finland and Sweden in which we discussed the findings from our literature review in the morning and chaired round tables in the afternoon to discuss country cases. For each participating country, we discussed how the enactment of educational accountability systems are mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences that vary among countries, and understand potential leverage points for system change. The workshop has resulted in an agreement with participating colleagues to write and publish a book where the introductory framework is informed by the theoretical work and literature review from our ESRC-funded study and the second part will include country chapters, including two chapters with findings from our empirical work in South Africa. The book allows us to understand how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact in other contexts to (prevent) education system change. A proposal for the book is under review with Routledge who expect to be able to publish it end of 2019. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The consortium of academic colleagues convened on the 12th of October 2018 to discuss the findings from our literature review, initial findings from South Africa and how these are relevant for their own countries. Participating colleagues discussed and presented examples from their country on how the enactment of educational accountability systems is mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences for the improvement of learning outcomes. The various examples allows for a wider understanding of how education systems change, how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact to prevent or promote such change and to understand potential leverage points for system change. Each of the participants is now working on a book chapter to capture their country case, which will be included in a book that will address and reflect on this theme more widely. |
| Impact | The workshop will result in a book; a proposal has been submitted to Routledge and is under review. the chapters are multidiscplinairy as colleages from political science, educational sciences, and public administration are collaborating in writing the chapters. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Consortium of academic colleagues writing up country cases on 'trust, accountability and capacity as conditions for education system improvement' |
| Organisation | Johannes Kepler University of Linz |
| Department | School of Education |
| Country | Austria |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We hosted a workshop on the 12th of October 2018 for academic colleagues and practitioners from US, the UK, South Africa, Chile, Israel, Austria, Finland and Sweden in which we discussed the findings from our literature review in the morning and chaired round tables in the afternoon to discuss country cases. For each participating country, we discussed how the enactment of educational accountability systems are mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences that vary among countries, and understand potential leverage points for system change. The workshop has resulted in an agreement with participating colleagues to write and publish a book where the introductory framework is informed by the theoretical work and literature review from our ESRC-funded study and the second part will include country chapters, including two chapters with findings from our empirical work in South Africa. The book allows us to understand how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact in other contexts to (prevent) education system change. A proposal for the book is under review with Routledge who expect to be able to publish it end of 2019. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The consortium of academic colleagues convened on the 12th of October 2018 to discuss the findings from our literature review, initial findings from South Africa and how these are relevant for their own countries. Participating colleagues discussed and presented examples from their country on how the enactment of educational accountability systems is mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences for the improvement of learning outcomes. The various examples allows for a wider understanding of how education systems change, how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact to prevent or promote such change and to understand potential leverage points for system change. Each of the participants is now working on a book chapter to capture their country case, which will be included in a book that will address and reflect on this theme more widely. |
| Impact | The workshop will result in a book; a proposal has been submitted to Routledge and is under review. the chapters are multidiscplinairy as colleages from political science, educational sciences, and public administration are collaborating in writing the chapters. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Consortium of academic colleagues writing up country cases on 'trust, accountability and capacity as conditions for education system improvement' |
| Organisation | Nanyang Technological University |
| Country | Singapore |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We hosted a workshop on the 12th of October 2018 for academic colleagues and practitioners from US, the UK, South Africa, Chile, Israel, Austria, Finland and Sweden in which we discussed the findings from our literature review in the morning and chaired round tables in the afternoon to discuss country cases. For each participating country, we discussed how the enactment of educational accountability systems are mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences that vary among countries, and understand potential leverage points for system change. The workshop has resulted in an agreement with participating colleagues to write and publish a book where the introductory framework is informed by the theoretical work and literature review from our ESRC-funded study and the second part will include country chapters, including two chapters with findings from our empirical work in South Africa. The book allows us to understand how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact in other contexts to (prevent) education system change. A proposal for the book is under review with Routledge who expect to be able to publish it end of 2019. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The consortium of academic colleagues convened on the 12th of October 2018 to discuss the findings from our literature review, initial findings from South Africa and how these are relevant for their own countries. Participating colleagues discussed and presented examples from their country on how the enactment of educational accountability systems is mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences for the improvement of learning outcomes. The various examples allows for a wider understanding of how education systems change, how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact to prevent or promote such change and to understand potential leverage points for system change. Each of the participants is now working on a book chapter to capture their country case, which will be included in a book that will address and reflect on this theme more widely. |
| Impact | The workshop will result in a book; a proposal has been submitted to Routledge and is under review. the chapters are multidiscplinairy as colleages from political science, educational sciences, and public administration are collaborating in writing the chapters. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Consortium of academic colleagues writing up country cases on 'trust, accountability and capacity as conditions for education system improvement' |
| Organisation | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | We hosted a workshop on the 12th of October 2018 for academic colleagues and practitioners from US, the UK, South Africa, Chile, Israel, Austria, Finland and Sweden in which we discussed the findings from our literature review in the morning and chaired round tables in the afternoon to discuss country cases. For each participating country, we discussed how the enactment of educational accountability systems are mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences that vary among countries, and understand potential leverage points for system change. The workshop has resulted in an agreement with participating colleagues to write and publish a book where the introductory framework is informed by the theoretical work and literature review from our ESRC-funded study and the second part will include country chapters, including two chapters with findings from our empirical work in South Africa. The book allows us to understand how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact in other contexts to (prevent) education system change. A proposal for the book is under review with Routledge who expect to be able to publish it end of 2019. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The consortium of academic colleagues convened on the 12th of October 2018 to discuss the findings from our literature review, initial findings from South Africa and how these are relevant for their own countries. Participating colleagues discussed and presented examples from their country on how the enactment of educational accountability systems is mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences for the improvement of learning outcomes. The various examples allows for a wider understanding of how education systems change, how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact to prevent or promote such change and to understand potential leverage points for system change. Each of the participants is now working on a book chapter to capture their country case, which will be included in a book that will address and reflect on this theme more widely. |
| Impact | The workshop will result in a book; a proposal has been submitted to Routledge and is under review. the chapters are multidiscplinairy as colleages from political science, educational sciences, and public administration are collaborating in writing the chapters. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Consortium of academic colleagues writing up country cases on 'trust, accountability and capacity as conditions for education system improvement' |
| Organisation | Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso |
| Country | Chile |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We hosted a workshop on the 12th of October 2018 for academic colleagues and practitioners from US, the UK, South Africa, Chile, Israel, Austria, Finland and Sweden in which we discussed the findings from our literature review in the morning and chaired round tables in the afternoon to discuss country cases. For each participating country, we discussed how the enactment of educational accountability systems are mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences that vary among countries, and understand potential leverage points for system change. The workshop has resulted in an agreement with participating colleagues to write and publish a book where the introductory framework is informed by the theoretical work and literature review from our ESRC-funded study and the second part will include country chapters, including two chapters with findings from our empirical work in South Africa. The book allows us to understand how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact in other contexts to (prevent) education system change. A proposal for the book is under review with Routledge who expect to be able to publish it end of 2019. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The consortium of academic colleagues convened on the 12th of October 2018 to discuss the findings from our literature review, initial findings from South Africa and how these are relevant for their own countries. Participating colleagues discussed and presented examples from their country on how the enactment of educational accountability systems is mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences for the improvement of learning outcomes. The various examples allows for a wider understanding of how education systems change, how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact to prevent or promote such change and to understand potential leverage points for system change. Each of the participants is now working on a book chapter to capture their country case, which will be included in a book that will address and reflect on this theme more widely. |
| Impact | The workshop will result in a book; a proposal has been submitted to Routledge and is under review. the chapters are multidiscplinairy as colleages from political science, educational sciences, and public administration are collaborating in writing the chapters. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Consortium of academic colleagues writing up country cases on 'trust, accountability and capacity as conditions for education system improvement' |
| Organisation | Umea University |
| Country | Sweden |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We hosted a workshop on the 12th of October 2018 for academic colleagues and practitioners from US, the UK, South Africa, Chile, Israel, Austria, Finland and Sweden in which we discussed the findings from our literature review in the morning and chaired round tables in the afternoon to discuss country cases. For each participating country, we discussed how the enactment of educational accountability systems are mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences that vary among countries, and understand potential leverage points for system change. The workshop has resulted in an agreement with participating colleagues to write and publish a book where the introductory framework is informed by the theoretical work and literature review from our ESRC-funded study and the second part will include country chapters, including two chapters with findings from our empirical work in South Africa. The book allows us to understand how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact in other contexts to (prevent) education system change. A proposal for the book is under review with Routledge who expect to be able to publish it end of 2019. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The consortium of academic colleagues convened on the 12th of October 2018 to discuss the findings from our literature review, initial findings from South Africa and how these are relevant for their own countries. Participating colleagues discussed and presented examples from their country on how the enactment of educational accountability systems is mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences for the improvement of learning outcomes. The various examples allows for a wider understanding of how education systems change, how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact to prevent or promote such change and to understand potential leverage points for system change. Each of the participants is now working on a book chapter to capture their country case, which will be included in a book that will address and reflect on this theme more widely. |
| Impact | The workshop will result in a book; a proposal has been submitted to Routledge and is under review. the chapters are multidiscplinairy as colleages from political science, educational sciences, and public administration are collaborating in writing the chapters. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Consortium of academic colleagues writing up country cases on 'trust, accountability and capacity as conditions for education system improvement' |
| Organisation | University of Jyvaskyla |
| Country | Finland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We hosted a workshop on the 12th of October 2018 for academic colleagues and practitioners from US, the UK, South Africa, Chile, Israel, Austria, Finland and Sweden in which we discussed the findings from our literature review in the morning and chaired round tables in the afternoon to discuss country cases. For each participating country, we discussed how the enactment of educational accountability systems are mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences that vary among countries, and understand potential leverage points for system change. The workshop has resulted in an agreement with participating colleagues to write and publish a book where the introductory framework is informed by the theoretical work and literature review from our ESRC-funded study and the second part will include country chapters, including two chapters with findings from our empirical work in South Africa. The book allows us to understand how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact in other contexts to (prevent) education system change. A proposal for the book is under review with Routledge who expect to be able to publish it end of 2019. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The consortium of academic colleagues convened on the 12th of October 2018 to discuss the findings from our literature review, initial findings from South Africa and how these are relevant for their own countries. Participating colleagues discussed and presented examples from their country on how the enactment of educational accountability systems is mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences for the improvement of learning outcomes. The various examples allows for a wider understanding of how education systems change, how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact to prevent or promote such change and to understand potential leverage points for system change. Each of the participants is now working on a book chapter to capture their country case, which will be included in a book that will address and reflect on this theme more widely. |
| Impact | The workshop will result in a book; a proposal has been submitted to Routledge and is under review. the chapters are multidiscplinairy as colleages from political science, educational sciences, and public administration are collaborating in writing the chapters. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Consortium of academic colleagues writing up country cases on 'trust, accountability and capacity as conditions for education system improvement' |
| Organisation | University of London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We hosted a workshop on the 12th of October 2018 for academic colleagues and practitioners from US, the UK, South Africa, Chile, Israel, Austria, Finland and Sweden in which we discussed the findings from our literature review in the morning and chaired round tables in the afternoon to discuss country cases. For each participating country, we discussed how the enactment of educational accountability systems are mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences that vary among countries, and understand potential leverage points for system change. The workshop has resulted in an agreement with participating colleagues to write and publish a book where the introductory framework is informed by the theoretical work and literature review from our ESRC-funded study and the second part will include country chapters, including two chapters with findings from our empirical work in South Africa. The book allows us to understand how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact in other contexts to (prevent) education system change. A proposal for the book is under review with Routledge who expect to be able to publish it end of 2019. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The consortium of academic colleagues convened on the 12th of October 2018 to discuss the findings from our literature review, initial findings from South Africa and how these are relevant for their own countries. Participating colleagues discussed and presented examples from their country on how the enactment of educational accountability systems is mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences for the improvement of learning outcomes. The various examples allows for a wider understanding of how education systems change, how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact to prevent or promote such change and to understand potential leverage points for system change. Each of the participants is now working on a book chapter to capture their country case, which will be included in a book that will address and reflect on this theme more widely. |
| Impact | The workshop will result in a book; a proposal has been submitted to Routledge and is under review. the chapters are multidiscplinairy as colleages from political science, educational sciences, and public administration are collaborating in writing the chapters. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Consortium of academic colleagues writing up country cases on 'trust, accountability and capacity as conditions for education system improvement' |
| Organisation | University of Portsmouth |
| Department | Portsmouth Business School |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We hosted a workshop on the 12th of October 2018 for academic colleagues and practitioners from US, the UK, South Africa, Chile, Israel, Austria, Finland and Sweden in which we discussed the findings from our literature review in the morning and chaired round tables in the afternoon to discuss country cases. For each participating country, we discussed how the enactment of educational accountability systems are mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences that vary among countries, and understand potential leverage points for system change. The workshop has resulted in an agreement with participating colleagues to write and publish a book where the introductory framework is informed by the theoretical work and literature review from our ESRC-funded study and the second part will include country chapters, including two chapters with findings from our empirical work in South Africa. The book allows us to understand how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact in other contexts to (prevent) education system change. A proposal for the book is under review with Routledge who expect to be able to publish it end of 2019. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The consortium of academic colleagues convened on the 12th of October 2018 to discuss the findings from our literature review, initial findings from South Africa and how these are relevant for their own countries. Participating colleagues discussed and presented examples from their country on how the enactment of educational accountability systems is mediated by a combination of bureaucratic capacity and societal trust, and how trust, capacity and accountability interact in ways and with consequences for the improvement of learning outcomes. The various examples allows for a wider understanding of how education systems change, how trust, accountability and capacity-building interact to prevent or promote such change and to understand potential leverage points for system change. Each of the participants is now working on a book chapter to capture their country case, which will be included in a book that will address and reflect on this theme more widely. |
| Impact | The workshop will result in a book; a proposal has been submitted to Routledge and is under review. the chapters are multidiscplinairy as colleages from political science, educational sciences, and public administration are collaborating in writing the chapters. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | ICSEI online research labs |
| Organisation | Educational Leaders |
| Country | Chile |
| Sector | Learned Society |
| PI Contribution | We collaborated with ICSEI to develop online research labs and set up of a new network within ICSEI -the International Conference on School Effectiveness and School Improvement-, co-chaired by Melanie Ehren (PI of this study). This new Crisis Response in Education Network included colleagues from Chile, the UK and the Netherlands who collaboratively organized three research labs with a wider group of international colleagues in 2020 (from the US, Canada, Australia, Chile, the UK, Kroatia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Qatar and Bahrein). The labs discussed a conceptual framework and collected data on three themes: 1. (trust in) assessments, 2. School networks, and 3) teacher agency. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners participated in 3 online research labs; each of which met online for 4 times with data collection in between the sessions and resulting in a publication in an academic journal. |
| Impact | Outputs are various publications, authored by co-conveners of the labs. Relevant for this project is a publication on teacher agency which will be published in 'Education Perspectives'. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | JET Education bootcamps |
| Organisation | University of Pretoria |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Andrew Paterson and Melanie Ehren organized an (online) boothcamp with both junior and senior colleagues (researchers and practitioners) from South Africa where we looked at structures to effectively govern the pandemic. The boothcamp was part of a wider sries of boothcamps organized by JET Education Services and brought together colleagues from across South Africa to discuss this theme and collect international data to learn from good practice in other countries. The learning from our study was incorporated throughout the boothcamp, also in discussion in other groups who were for example working on the role of trust and accountability in managing the pandemic.More information: https://www.jet.org.za/covid-19-research-response/south-african-bootcamp Online bi-weekly sessions took place between 31 March and 30 April, followed by report writing. These resulted in a virtual launch through YouTube with a report and blog published on the JET-site and widely shared over social media. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Researchers collaborated over a 2 month period to develop a conceptual framework and collect data on theme 4 of the bootcamp: Jenna Barnes, Philip Gasseler, Marlize Kantor, Glodia Kgobe, Shadrack Mlambo, Jason Muyumba, Cebisa Ncube, Felicitas Ndlela, Monge Richer Nkuna, Tusani Sinethemba , Thabang Rainett Teffo |
| Impact | The bootcamp resulted in a virtual launch through YouTube with a report and blog published on the JET-site and widely shared over social media. See for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyapXAdwZKE https://www.jet.org.za/covid-19-research-response/south-african-bootcamp |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | OECD review and development of Inspectorate of Education in Morocco |
| Organisation | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | OECD commissioned the PI (Melanie Ehren) to work with them in reviewing and developing the Inspectorate of Education in Morocco. The work included an extensive analysis of how schools are evaluated and monitored and how this is supporting school improvement, with various workshops in a second phase to develop an indicator framework and discuss the wider conditions (e.g. roles and responsibilities of the province, district and central level around school evaluation and improvement, the need for alignment and information sharing) that need to be in place for school inspections to improve learning outcomes. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaboration with the OECD team allowed us to share insights from our work with policymakers in Morocco, while it will also help them in further similar projects where they are asked to review and support in the development of education systems. |
| Impact | The review resulted in a report with a proposal for an indicator framework. We have also developed a delivered a set of workshops with policymakers in Morocco to discuss and further revise the indicator framework. The OECD has been working on the data-infrastructure (including assessments and school level data reports) to be used in the evaluation and improvement of schools. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | UNESCO IIEP training programme |
| Organisation | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| Department | International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO) |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | UNESCO IIEP commissioned the PI (Melanie Ehren) to collaborate in the development and delivery of a training programme to build capacity of the middle tier in Guyana to evaluate and improve schools. These included policymakers from the Ministry of Education, inspectors and district supervisors. Various outcomes of our study informed the materials we developed and the activities we implemented as part of the training; e.d. discussions about how to create high trust networks for system-wide reform and building capacity by coordinating exchange of good practice and resources between schools. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaboration with UNESCO IIEP and the ministry of education in Guyana allowed us to share some of our insights with practitioners and policymakers in another country and location of the world (Guyana). Sharing our work with UNESCO IIEP colleagues also means that our insights will be used in their wider work with low and middle income countries; this is evidenced in the various requests we have already received for follow-up support in developing and delivering training programmes (e.g. in Cambodia). |
| Impact | We contributed to the development and delivery of a training programme in Guyana. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | UNICEF training in Lao PDR |
| Organisation | UNICEF |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | We were commissioned by UNICEF in Laos to develop two training courses which would train school leaders in school self-evaluation, support district supervisors in using these outcomes to plan their support work of schools and allocate resources. The courses were developed for the online LESMIS platform which also included a tool for school self-evaluation and a guide for schools to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning in the school and work with the local community in school improvement. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaboration with UNICEF in Laos allowed us to share our research findings with the Ministry of Education in Laos, as well as with UNICEF colleagues who could use these in their further work in the country. |
| Impact | We developed 2 training courses, an online LESMIS platform which is used for the training as well as a tool for school self-evaluation with a structured guide for schools to use in engaging with their local community in school self-evaluation and improvement. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | CIES conference 2022; presentation on teacher professionalism and teacher accountability |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A paper presentation at CIES 2022 on teacher professionalism and professional accountability in South Africa; presenting findings from the case study work. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Online dissemination webinar on teacher professionalism in South Africa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Final project webinar to share outcomes on teacher professionalism. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Round table on intelligent accountability at ReformEd conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A contribution to a panel on 'intelligent accountability' at the ReformEd conference in Barcelona. The ReformEd project was an international study funded by the EU on performance-based accountability; the panel was organized as part of their end of project conference with a large group of academics working on this topic. We were able to share some of our work in South Africa. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Webinar and round table discussions on leadership, professionalism and parental engagement in South African schools |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | We organized a final online webinar with JET Education Services to share our project findings around three key themes: teacher professionalism, school leadership and parental engagement in schools; discussing questions of trust, accountability and capacity around each of these three. Over 40 participants from various NGOs in education in South Africa joined the webinar and we organized small break out groups to discuss the findings with them. One of the key outcomes is how we changed the understanding of some of the participants that teachers' mindsets is an important condition that needs to be changed to improve education; many teachers have a mindset of compliance which means that they don't access/engage with the professional development that is offered to them by many of the participating organizations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.jet.org.za/news/accountability-workshop |