Teachers: The key factor of learning

Within a school, teachers are the most important factor for students to learn and acquire the necessary skills. It is essential that students have access to effective teachers. Exposure to a high-quality teacher during a school year produces: First: significant improvements in student learning. Studies show that such improvements can amount to up to one more year of learning. For example, a recent study conducted by the IDB in Ecuador found that an effective teacher can close learning gaps between students who come from socio-economically disadvantaged households and those who come from more advantaged households. Second: exposure to high-quality teachers makes an impact on the child’s ability to regulate their thoughts, actions, and emotions, which is essential for the learning process. And finally, effective teachers also make a positive impact on access opportunities to higher education for their students, and even in their future salaries. For this reason, it is fundamental that the education system is able to attract, develop, motivate, and retain the most effective teachers.