Effective primary level science teaching in the Philippines

Early studies of educational achievement in developing countries emphasized the effects of material inputs (such as textbooks) over teaching practices and classroom organization. This paper examines how five teaching practices affected the achievements of fifth grade students in the Philippines - and what affected teachers'decisions to use effective teaching practices. With school, teacher, and classroom characteristics held constant, achievement was higher for students whose teachers used three teaching practices that show promise for applications in developing countries because they are effective, low cost, or cost effective: frequent tests or quizzes; small group instruction, including peer tutoring; and teaching through laboratory work, particularly for science. Teachers'decisions about whether to test students frequently were unrelated to their prior education of work experience, suggesting that school-level management may be more important in encouraging effective teaching than preservice education and training.