1 Introduction

1.1 Purpose and Objectives of this Study

The purpose of this study is to understand how Girls’ Education Challenge Phase II (GEC II) projects have engaged teachers and emphasised teaching quality within interventions designed to achieve a core GEC II outcome for girls’ learning.

Teachers have an important impact on students’ learning and, as such, improving teaching quality is one of eight intermediate outcomes set out in the GEC II Theory of Change (provided in Annex A) It is therefore important to understand the extent to which GEC II activities include ones that aim to provide high quality, gender-responsive learning environments for marginalised girls. This means understanding not only their demographics (who teachers are), but also their professional practices and how they approach teaching the marginalised girls in their classrooms (what they do).

This study contributes to this evidence base by analysing the work of the GEC II programme in engaging teachers and improving the quality of teaching. This focuses on two key research questions:

• How have GEC II projects implemented and adapted interventions with teachers and teaching prior to Covid-19?

• How and to what extent have GEC II projects adapted and supported interventions related to teachers and teaching during Covid-19: (1) to enable girls to continue to learn at home during school closures, and/or to return to school following school closures; and (2) to support them in other learning spaces (e.g., community-based learning, training on remedial learning etc.)?

In this regard, this is an evaluation for learning (used in this report interchangeably with study) rather than an evaluation for accountability purposes The primary aim is to provide the FCDO and IPs with evidence and learning to inform improvements of current and future interventions relating to teachers and teaching, in addition to contributing to the wider global evidence base on teaching quality in this context.

1.2 Report Structure

The following analysis is organised around the overarching research questions that guided this study. These research questions are framed around two time periods: before and since the Covid-19 pandemic.

This report comprises the following sections:

• Section 2 draws on background literature to provide an overview of key concepts and evidence in relation to teachers and teaching that have informed this study.

• Section 3 provides an overview of the research approach and methodology. Further detail on the methodology is provided in the accompanying document (Annex B).

• Section 4 (RQ1) and Section 5 (RQ2) address the two core research questions above.

• Section 6 (conclusions) and Section 7 (recommendations) build on these findings to provide conclusions and recommendations for the FCDO, FM and IPs, and the wider academic and practitioner community

In addition, this report is accompanied by a separate set of annexes, which provides further detail on the methodology and ethics and safeguarding procedures; the research tools used for this study; and expanded quantitative findings. These comprise the following annexes:

• Annex A: GEC II Theory of Change

• Annex B: Research Design and Methodology

• Annex C: Research Tools

• Annex D: Expanded Quantitative Findings

• Annex E: Ethical Research and Safeguarding Framework

• Annex F: FCDO Response on Safeguarding