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Who Teaches the Teachers? A Rct of Peer-to-Peer Observation and Feedback in 181 Schools

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Listed:
  • Wyness, Gillian

    (University College London)

  • Murphy, Richard

    (University of Texas at Austin)

  • Weinhardt, Felix

    (DIW Berlin)

Abstract

It is well established that teachers are the most important in-school factor in determining student outcomes. However, to date there is scant robust quantitative research demonstrating that teacher training programs can have lasting impacts on student test scores. To address this gap, we conduct and evaluate a teacher peer-to-peer observation and feedback program under Randomized Control Trial (RCT) conditions. Half of 181 volunteer primary schools in England were randomly selected to participate in the two year program. We find that students of treated teachers perform no better on national tests a year after the program ended. The absence of external observers and incentives in our program may explain the contrast of these results with the small body of work which shows a positive in uence of teacher observation and feedback on pupil outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Wyness, Gillian & Murphy, Richard & Weinhardt, Felix, 2018. "Who Teaches the Teachers? A Rct of Peer-to-Peer Observation and Feedback in 181 Schools," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 116, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    • Handle: RePEc:rco:dpaper:116
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    Cited by:

    1. Liebowitz, David D., 2021. "Teacher evaluation for accountability and growth: Should policy treat them as complements or substitutes?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    2. Simon Briole & Eric Maurin, 2019. "Does evaluating teachers make a difference?," PSE Working Papers halshs-02102295, HAL.
    3. Díaz, Juan & Sánchez, Rafael & Villarroel, Gabriel & Villena, Mauricio G., 2021. "Effects of Measures of Teachers' Quality on Tertiary Education Attendance: Evaluation Tests versus Value Added," IZA Discussion Papers 14277, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education; teachers; rct; peer mentoring;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • M53 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Training

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