Educational Quality : Defining What's Important

[摘要] Planning and monitoring the quality ofprimary education in sub-Saharan Africa takes as itsstarting point the conviction that improvements in thequality of education must focus on the school as the unit ofchange. Through a review of the qualitative researchliterature on school improvement and the more quantitativeliterature on school effectiveness, a conceptual frameworkthat identifies generic factors that determine schooleffectiveness is formulated. Drawing from the literature,detailed definitions and indicators relevant to sub-SaharanAfrica are presented for each of the factors. The paper thendescribes, with some examples, how the conceptual frameworkof factors, definitions, and indicators can be used in theregion to plan improvements in the quality of primaryeducation, to conduct situation analyses and sector work onschool quality, and to monitor and evaluate educationalreforms. The paper concludes with an assessment of thestrengths and weaknesses of these materials and a reminderthat they must be locally adapted if they are to proveuseful in improving the quality of education forAfrica's children.

[发布机构] World Bank, Washington, DC

[学科分类] 社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

[关键词] PLANNING METHODS;MONITORING;EVALUATION STUDIES;PRIMARY EDUCATION;EDUCATIONAL REFORMS