In Honduras, a Central American country with a population of nearly 10 million, only 1 out of 3 young people between 15 and 17 years of age attends an educational center (INE, 2021). Despite an education budget representing around 4.9% of the Gross Domestic Product (BCH 2021), indicators demonstrate low levels of learning, in reading, mathematics and science, young Hondurans are one year behind the average for Latin America (OCDE-PISA-D,2018)

As part of a program aimed at improving teacher quality, SUMMA, The Laboratory of Education Research and Innovation for Latin America and the Caribbean, SEDUC, Secretary of Education are adapting and testing a model of teacher professional development, TPD@scale, which is mediated by technology based on the principles of the  TPD@scale model. In conjunction with this effort, the team,  in collaboration with the Brookings Institution, conducting a costing exercise to estimate the differential levels of public spending for delivering various TPD  programs using the recently developed, Brookings Childhood Cost Calculator (C3), a public good for the global education sector. 

The costing exercise seeks to compare a model that is being carried out through the implementation of a five-week course in 5 departments of the country, including  the two most populated areas, with other alternative delivery models such as in person training or blended courses. The  costing exercise attempts to answer the questions of how efficient a technology mediated teacher training model is in comparison to more  traditional TPD processes. 

The research applies  a multi-method design, combining cost data from the implementation of the TPD@scale initiative and complemented with data drawn from interviews and meetings with partners. The process has been structured into five phases. First, the establishment of two groups  -one, a core costing group that will work directly with data and the other, a wider group of facilitating agents to facilitate collection of  the data. These groups will establish the country’s priorities regarding the costs that will be studied and analyzed. Second, a process of using the tool, and the beginning of semi-structured interviews with key informants to obtain a general categorized structure of the costs. Third, the collection of existing data to complete the categories, this phase is accompanied by a continuous process of endorsing the information provided by the teams. Fourth, the introduction of the data in C3, with a process of capacity building, this phase is accompanied by relevant discussions. Fifth, dissemination of information so that decision makers can take information into account in the construction of an equitable and quality public policy for TPD approaches  in Honduras.

In addition to contributing to the piloting of a global public good, this costing process is expected to strengthen capacity building to both groups, and inspire the use of accurate data and a more transparent / holistic approach to decision making around public spending, based on the principles of collaboration across different stakeholders. 

References

INE (2021) Encuesta Permanente de Hogares de Propósitos Múltiples. Honduras. https://www.ine.gob.hn/V3/ephpm/

SEDUC (2020) Sistema de Administración de Centros Educativos SACE. Honduras. https://www.se.gob.hn/media/files/aprode/Informe_SACE_2020_final.pdf

FEREMA (2022) Honduras. https://www.thedialogue.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Informe-Progreso-Educativo_Honduras-IPEH-2022.pdf

BCH (2021) , Banco Central de Honduras. 

https://www.bch.hn/estadisticos/GIE/LIBHonduras%20en%20cifras/Honduras%20en%20Cifras%202019-2021.pdf

OCDE/PISA para el Desarrollo (2018)PISA-D América Latina y el Caribe. Honduras: ¿Es posible mejorar el sistema educativo del país? www.iadb.org/pisa