Professional Development of Teachers:
The Need of the Hour
As India strives to achieve universal primary enrolment (MDG2) and implements the Right to Free and Compulsory
Education Act (2009) well-qualified and effective teachers remain at the heart of school reform. This brief uses analysis
from the Young Lives study in Andhra Pradesh to examine teacher characteristics and practices which have a strong,
positive effect on student learning outcomes. It uses this evidence to discuss the implications for teacher professional
development.
Our findings suggest that characteristics such as length of service
and experience, gender, content knowledge and in-service training
do not have a significant impact on children’s mathematics scores
(when we tested them in Grade 5), whereas practices such as
regularly correcting their books, proximity of a teacher’s residence
to the school, and teachers’ attitude towards their students and
beliefs about their school all have significant influence.
It is easy to understand that teachers with professional
qualifications had higher student outcomes than teachers who had
only secondary or senior secondary level education themselves.
However, the fact that teachers with professional teaching
qualifications had no better student outcomes than teachers with
no training requires the urgent attention of policymakers.
The importance of effective pre-service training and on-going
professional development cannot be overstated if India is to
ensure that all children receive an inclusive, quality education.
That in-service training does not seem to have any positive
effect reinforces that current training leaves much to be desired.
Central and state governments need to create conditions which
will motivate and inspire teachers by developing and enforcing
professional standards and revising training provision as well as
the Teacher Eligibility Test to ensure that teachers have both the
subject and pedagogical knowledge needed as well as the values
and attributes to address the learning needs of all children.