The USAID Leading Through Learning Global Platform (LTLGP) and USAID Improving Learning Outcomes for Asia (ILOA) presented a panel at the 2024 CIES Conference on what each project has been learning about establishing and implementing learning networks. Presentations from three USAID learning networks (HELN, GRN, ECCN) and one regional hub managed by LTLGP along with a presentation from ILOA discuss how each learning network utilizes collaboration, learning, and adapting (CLA) to assess how well their networks are reaching and meeting the needs of their members and how they have adapted and adjusted their networks based on CLA fedback.

This presentation summarizes the achievements, challenges, and recommendations from previous studies conducted as part of the Uzbekistan Education for Excellence Program. These studies focused on teacher professional development (TPD) and the implementation of innovative teaching practices in Uzbekistan's public schools. The Program conducted a multi-phased Status of Instruction Study (SIS) to gain insights into instructional resources and practices. The study collected feedback from teachers on resource usage, lesson planning, available resources in schools and classrooms, instructional techniques, and engagement in school based communities of practice. The findings influenced the customization and development of student textbooks, teacher's guides, and TPD approaches. The study used the Framework for Teaching (FFT) developed by The Danielson Group to guide the research and ensure consistency across subjects (ULA, Math, ICT, and EFL). SIS2, conducted online via Telegram channels shared by the Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MoPSE), employed a descriptive quantitative design considering the impact of COVID-19. In addition, the Program undertook the Teacher Support System Study (TSSS). The TSSS examined the existing teacher support system in Uzbekistan, including self-directed and school-level professional development activities. The study focused on instructional coaching, peer-to-peer support, and training. The studies used a combination of online surveys and in-person training sessions. Data from teachers, school directors, and methodologists were analyzed through descriptive quantitative and qualitative content analysis. The effectiveness of virtual training programs, the teacher support system, and the implementation of student textbooks and teacher guides were examined. Finally, the Program undertook the Teacher Guide Uptake Study (TGUS) augmenting the online SIS and TSSS surveys with classroom observations over a school year. Findings indicated a shift towards student-centered teaching approaches, but highlighted the need for lesson planning support, creative adaptation of teaching materials, and opportunities for instructional coaching and peer support. Recommendations included providing comprehensive teacher guides and online courses, improving assessment guidance, enhancing coaching processes, and utilizing existing collaboration platforms. The studies offer valuable insights into TPD and instructional practices in Uzbekistan's public schools. The presentation highlights lessons learned from combining online with classroom observation data over time.

The theme of CIES asks our society of academics and practitioners to confront the ways in which education is a space of debate and contestation, and how stakeholders both internal and external to education systems seek to effect change (or maintain the status quo). The behavioral science perspective is not new to international education. It has often been presented from different research perspectives, including teacher mental models of teacher beliefs (Saberwal et. al., 2018), and the social aspects of educational change (Fullan, 2015). However, recent interest has shifted focus on the understanding of education systems change using a behavioral science lens (Ajani 2022). This perspective is important as education systems programming is frequently designed without a true understanding of how individuals will respond to change (Jeevan and Hwa, 2022). The presentations present studies which examine teachers, caregivers, and instructional practice and change within an education system. What new insights do we have and how might they influence policy and implementation for education systems change? This deck includes the following presentations and authors: From access to learning to nudging: Why behavioral science might be the next new best thing in education improvement programs (Amber Gove, RTI International), More of this and less of that: How a behavioral science lens suggests alternative approaches to education program design & implementation (Simon King, Creative Associates), Peer-to-Peer Learning: The Power of Social Networks in Adoption of New Pedagogies (Elizabeth Marsden, RTI International), and Supporting Caregivers of Young Children in South Africa to Engage in Play (Carolina Better, Ideas42).