School production modelling to strengthen government monitoring programmes in developing countries

[摘要] Education production function analysis is widely recognised as one important area ofresearch that needs to inform education policymaking, specifically policy relating tothe mix of funded inputs in a schooling system. Arriving at production functions is acomplex task, and is fraught with methodological pitfalls. This thesis sets out toestablish a framework for undertaking education production function analysis, and indiscussing its various elements, including its pitfalls, recommendations for goodpractice are arrived at. The material analysed is of four types: texts on econometrictheory; existing production function analyses; documentation relating to three dataintensiveschool monitoring programmes, namely Brazil's SAEB, South Africa'sSystemic Evaluation and the international SACMEQ programme; and lastly data,relating mainly to South Africa, from the 2000 run of SACMEQ. The thesis isorganised according what can be regarded as seven key analysis steps. These stepsinclude a focus on the importance of a 'mental model', the relative benefits of theone-level regression model and the hierarchical linear model (HLM), and theformulation of actual production functions for South Africa based on the SACMEQdata, using both one-level and HLM models. Key conclusions are, firstly, that theHLM, though still under-developed, offers great analysis potential and, secondly, thatproduction function analyses ought to be translated into budgetary terms in order forthem to become fully meaningful to the policymaker.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University