Measuring quality in education

Simon Ellis

Dimensions of quality Learning outcomes Education process

Classroom conditions Teaching

Inputs ICTs Textbooks and other material Governance Finance

Learning outcomes

Measured against national standard

Assessing individual skills in comparison to other

individuals, schools, provinces, countries

Classroom processes

Several existing well-defined international indicators PTR, Survival, repetition

Larger classes show more repetition

Cambodia

Macao SAR

Indonesia

Lao PDR

Philippines

Timor-LesteBangladesh

Bhutan

Iran

Maldives

Nepal

Pakistan

Sri LankaAfghanistan0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

PTR in primary

% re

peat

ers

in p

rimar

y

CHINA

Smaller classes keep children in school longer

Mongolia

Cambodia

Hong Kong SARIndonesia

Lao PDR

Malaysia

Myanmar

Philippines

Rep. of Korea

Singapore

Timor-Leste

Bhutan

Sri Lanka

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

40 60 80 100 120

Survival rate to the final grade of primary

PT

R in

pri

mar

y

CHINA

Larger classes tend to have more over-age children

MongoliaBrunei Daruss.

Cambodia

Macao SAR

Indonesia

Lao PDR

Malaysia Rep. of Korea

Timor-Leste

Bangladesh

Bhutan

Maldives

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Iran

Philippines

Thailand0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

PTR in primary

% o

f o

ve

r-a

ge

stu

de

nts

in

pri

ma

ry

Survival rate to the last grade of primary and transition rate to secondary, most recent year

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Cam

bodi

a

Nep

al

Lao

PD

R

Indi

a

Phi

lippi

nes

Indo

nesi

a

Bhu

tan

Vie

t N

am

Mal

aysi

a

Mon

golia

Sri

Lank

a

Bru

nei

Rep

. of

Mal

dive

s

Chi

na

Mac

ao

Hon

g

Sin

gapo

re

Tim

or-

Tha

iland

%

Survival rate to the last gradeTransition rate to secondary

Pupils-teacher ratio, primary, 1990,2000 and most recent year

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Cam

bodi

a

Nep

al

Phi

lippi

nes

Pak

ista

n

Mya

nmar

Mon

golia

Rep

. of

Kor

ea

Afg

hani

stan

Lao

PD

R

Vie

t N

am

Sri

Lank

a

Iran

Indo

nesi

a

Hon

g K

ong

SA

R

Japa

n

Tha

iland

Mal

aysi

a

Bru

nei D

arus

s.

PT

R in

pri

ma

ry

1990 2000 Most recent year

Percentage of repeaters in primary, 2000 and most recent year

0

5

10

15

20

25

Rep

. of K

orea

Bru

nei D

arus

s.

Mya

nmar

Mon

golia

Hon

g K

ong

SA

R

Sri

Lank

a

Phi

lippi

nes

Vie

t Nam

Tha

iland

Indi

a

Iran

Indo

nesi

a

Mac

ao S

AR

Bhu

tan

Lao

PD

R

Cam

bodi

a

Nep

al

% o

f re

pea

ters

in

pri

mar

y

2000 Most recent year

Class sizes falling faster than repetition rates

Bhutan

Thailand

Macao SAR

Cambodia

Philippines

Nepal

Lao PDR

Indonesia

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55

PTR in primary

% o

f re

pea

ters

in

pri

mar

y

2010 1990

School life expectancy (primary and secondary, ISCED1-3), 1990, 2000 and most recent year

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Afg

hani

stan

Mya

nmar

Cam

bodi

a

Lao

PD

R

Indi

a

Tha

iland

Mon

golia

Chi

na Iran

Phi

lippi

nes

Mal

aysi

a

Mac

aoS

AR

Indo

nesi

a

Japa

n

Hon

g K

ong

SA

RR

ep. o

fK

orea

Bru

nei

Dar

uss.

Sch

oo

l lif

e ex

pec

tan

cy (

in y

ear)

1990 2000 Most recent year

Teaching Processes – usually documented by

qualitative observation and recording Eg amount of teacher attention given to each

pupil

Proxy indicators Teachers trained in appropriate pedagogical

techniques (average) years of experience of teachers % of teachers trained to national standards

[current international education indicator]

TEACHERSMean values of indices of learning approaches

Inputs

FINANCESalaries as a percentage of total public education expenditure (ISCED 1-4, most recent year)

32.8

54.858.4

62.8

76.079.3 79.4 79.7

83.1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90L

ao

PD

R

Tim

or-

Le

ste

Ba

ng

lad

esh

Re

p.

of

Ko

rea

Ind

on

esi

a

Ma

lays

ia

Ph

ilip

pin

es

Jap

an

Ind

ia% o

f ed

uca

tio

nal

exp

end

itu

re o

n s

alar

ies

TEXTBOOKSPercentage of Grade 4 pupils who shared textbooks for reading/language instruction

Percentage of pupils who were able to borrow and take textbooks home

ICTs Every country has a ‘pilot’ impact study Few (no?) countries have nationwide impact

studies Major determinants of school achievement are

Intelligence IQ Education of parents

Mixed results of ICT impact studies. Computers have more impact on education

when in the home than when at school

BUT ICT skills are a basic requirement for all roles in society

Conclusions Many different approaches to measuring

quality Statistics only part of story, also requires qualitative

observation Classroom processes very important but

difficult to measure Some standard indicators; PTR, survival,

repetition rates are useful Most important are learning outcomes as the

ultimate aim of schooling National and international assessment needed In assessing learning outcomes inputs and processes

need to be taken into account