Join us at the upcoming Roundtable on Development Impact “From Expectations to Evidence”

Date: Thursday, 5 November 2026
Time: 14:00–17:00, followed by a Development Impact Happy Hour
Venue: University of Bern, Department of Economics
 

Helvetas and the Department of Economics at the University of Bern invite you to a roundtable on the measurable effects of the School-Based In-Service Teacher Training (SITT) program in Tanzania. At the heart of this roundtable are two simple questions: How to improve teaching and learning in Tanzanian rural classrooms, and how can we know whether a specific approach for teacher training works at scale?

The SITT program, developed and implemented by Helvetas with the Tanzania Teachers’ Union and the Ministry of Education, helps teachers move away from lecture-style instruction towards more intentional, learner-centred teaching. In classrooms where pupils often share limited materials and teachers work with large groups, the approach supports teachers to use locally made teaching aids, small-group work and peer learning to strengthen pupils’ learning outcomes.

Over eight years, the Department of Economics of the University of Bern, has followed Helvetas’ SITT program through two randomized controlled trials in Tanzania involving 420 schools and 45,000 students. The studies examined how SITT transforms teachers' way of teaching and how well students learn. A third field experiment is underway, testing how to deliver quality at scale.

What to expect

The afternoon will include insights from Helvetas and the University of Bern, firsthand reflections from SITT Program Manager Donatian Marusu, and a panel discussion with representatives from SECO, NGOs, and research on what this evidence means for practice and policy.

A formal program with further details and panellists will follow.