Lessons in School Improvement from Sub-Saharan Africa

Why do programmes of continuing professional development and Learning (CPDL) for teachers so frequently fail to deliver sustained improvement in children’s social behaviour and academic performance? How can schools that prioritise the most disadvantaged children in one of the world’s poorest countries consistently achieve among the best academic results in the country? How can teachers in these schools, most of whom have received little or no formal training, provide CPDL that leads to improvement in other schools?

These questions are as relevant in high income countries as in Sierra Leone, where the research for this book was carried out. Lessons in School Improvement from Sub-Saharan Africa addresses them head-on by describing the planning, delivery and evaluation of a school improvement programme in which development of professional learning networks (PLNs) was a key component. The evaluation showed that children whose teachers had taken part in the programme made significantly more progress in attendance, literacy and behaviour than children in control schools. 

The book’s professional relevance is strengthened by an accompanying Practitioners’ Manual with full details of the CPDL. This enables replication of the results and provides a guide for future school improvement programmes and PLNs, both in low and high income countries.

Miriam Mason is Country Director of EducAid Sierra Leone. Miriam and EducAid work with the government and other stakeholders to strengthen the education system through running high-performing schools, school improvement and teacher-training programmes, and learning materials.

David Galloway worked as an educational psychologist before taking up posts at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and Cardiff, Lancaster, and Durham Universities, UK. His research investigates the reasons for wide variations between schools, irrespective of demographic factors, in their impact on children's behaviour and motivation.