Can Watching Optimally over Teachers be a Paved Way to Improving Pupils' Learning Outcomes? Empirical Evidence from a Field Experiment in Benin

Our project is a one-year school-based pedagogical intervention targeted at public primary schools in Benin, which will be implemented over the period 2027-2028 following exploratory research over the period 2025-2026. It involves organizing inspections of classes of grade 3 pupils by varying the intensity (regular and sporadic) and type (planned and unplanned) of inspections. For planned inspections, schools will be informed in advance based on a tailored inspection calendar that will be shared with them. For regular inspections, target classes will be visited twice at the beginning of each fortnight. The project seeks to answer the research questions: What are the impacts of class inspections on pupils’ learning outcomes. What is the optimal class inspection? To address the research questions, we will use clustered randomization, randomizing at the class level, and organize the treatment group into 5 arms: (1) regular inspections, (2) planned inspections, (3) unplanned inspections, (4) regular and unplanned inspections and (5) regular and planned inspections. Conceptually, class inspections affect children’s learning outcomes through teacher-related outcomes: school attendance, punctuality, class preparation, and performance. We expect the project to improve pupils’ learning outcomes in math and reading compared to the control group. Rural and remote school schools will draw the most of the benefits. The project’s activities will be implemented by the Departmental Direction of Education (DDEMP), which has proven technical and logistical capacities of organizing class inspections in Benin. If successful, the project will bring significant changes to the current approach to class inspections in Benin.