Independent Evaluation of Teach For Pakistan’s Impact
Over the 2023–2024 academic year, the RAND Corporation D.C., an independent, international research organization, conducted a groundbreaking study to evaluate the impact of Teach For Pakistan’s Teaching Fellowship Program on whole child development across 80 schools in the Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan.
The summary below outlines the key findings and recommendations from the evaluation report, offering powerful insights into the Teach For Pakistan (TFP) program’s influence on students’ academic and non-academic development, teaching quality, and school community engagement. This is the first study of its kind within the Teach For All network in South Asia, contributing valuable research on teacher development models in the region.
Methodology
This mixed-methods evaluation combined quantitative and qualitative approaches to assess TFP’s impact on student outcomes, teaching quality, and school climate. The study involved 80 public schools in Islamabad’s underserved, rural communities with 4,899 students, 162 teachers, and 80 principals, split between TFP and comparison schools.
Data collection included pre- and post-assessments of students in grades 4, 6, and 7 in math, science, and English and Social-emotional Learning (SEL) surveys. Additionally, school leaders and teachers were quantitatively surveyed. Qualitative insights were gathered through interviews with TFP Fellows and principals and focus groups with non-TFP teachers, parents, and students. A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate academic and SEL outcomes, supplemented by applied thematic analysis of qualitative data.
Evaluation Questions
- What is the effect of TFP participants on whole child development?
- What is the effect of TFP participants on teaching quality and classroom life?
- How do TFP participants contribute to the school community?
Main Findings
Impressive academic performance improvement in rural public schools
Quantitative data showed that students taught by TFP Fellows consistently outperformed their peers from the controlled group in math, English literacy, and science, i.e.:
- Large-sized effects in mathematics: 0.26 standard deviations in math, or 8 to 10 months of additional learning gains*;
- Medium-sized effects in English: 0.15 standard deviations, or 6 months of additional learning gains; and
- Large-sized effects in science: 0.41 standard deviations, or 16 months of additional learning gains.
Encouragingly, the program showed similar benefits for girls and boys across key educational outcomes.
*Interpreted by the benchmarks based on PISA and Hanushek, E. A., Woessmann, L., & Peterson, P. E. (2012)
Mixed outcomes in SEL and perceptions of growth
While the quantitative data showed no significant differences in the TFP Fellows’ impact on social-emotional skills, differences in teaching quality as perceived by students, or differences in school climate between TFP and non-TFP schools; the qualitative interviews revealed a different perspective. Stakeholders (school leaders, non-TFP teachers, and parents) perceived that TFP Fellows’ students demonstrated notable improvements in confidence, perseverance, and a sense of responsibility.
Stellar student-centred teaching methods
Qualitative findings also report that TFP Fellows stood out for their student-centered teaching approaches, emphasizing mastery, conceptual understanding, and motivation. They were seen to create supportive, caring classrooms where students feel encouraged to take the lead, think critically, and ask questions—practices that have been observed to help bridge learning gaps and nurture curiosity amongst the students.
Productive parents and community engagement
Beyond the classroom, TFP Fellows made a difference by fostering stronger parental engagement, championing student-oriented approaches to classroom management (particularly moving away from corporal punishment is mentioned), and addressing school-wide needs through the community partnership projects that Fellows undertake in their second year to engage the broader education ecosystem.
Student Voice
The qualitative evaluation highlighted that students themselves noticed and appreciated the difference made by TFP Fellows. In interviews and focus groups, students spoke about feeling more supported and seen in the classroom. They shared how TFP Fellows encouraged them to participate, take initiative, and believe in their abilities.
Recommendations
- Continue Strengthening Core Teaching Practices: Consistent with existing TFP policies, it should continue to encourage its teachers to engage in key practices, such as fostering students’ sense of self (e.g., grit and confidence), teaching students to collaborate, empowering them to lead, and engaging parents in their children’s education. These practices were identified by multiple stakeholders as notable for improving whole-child outcomes.
- Integrate Targeted SEL Interventions: TFP should consider implementing targeted SEL interventions and curricula with explicit instructions on SEL to improve the skills identified in the program’s theory of change. Prior research shows that explicit instruction is the most effective way to improve SEL skills, although TFP might wish to pilot-test such an intervention to ensure that it is appropriate for the Pakistani context.
- Enhance Student Outcome Measurement: TFP should use multiple modes to measure student outcomes and obtain a comprehensive understanding of student progress. Self-reporting on SEL measures using surveys has known limitations. TFP might consider alternative data collection, such as performance-based SEL measures or third-party independent observations.
- Expand Support for Fellows in Challenging School Environments: TFP should consider providing additional support (e.g., programming, contextualized coaching) to help TFP Fellows navigate.