Revealing preferences for teachers in rural Myanmar

Abstract

ABSTRACT In November 2010, Myanmar1 began a process of significant democratic reform ending a half century of authoritarian rule by military junta. Rural education, having long suffered from a lack of qualified teachers in poorly equipped, overcrowded schools, has received little attention from empirical scholarship aimed at informing policymakers. This article pilots a direct survey of university students entering into the teaching profession, producing clear priorities to support teachers, especially in rural areas. Survey data were gathered at the Yangon University of Education using an improved conjoint analysis. Survey attributes were completely and independently randomised then analysed by ordinary least squares regression and the Sarafidis and Weber partitional-clustered regression with unobserved fixed effects. Out of many competing priorities, the analysis reveals that secure housing is at the highest priority for respondents, with secondary and tertiary preferences varying based on group clusters. This study aims to inform teacher placement policy by demonstrating methodologically how observed and unobserved characteristics of the respondents and the teaching environment influence teacher retention. Given the present challenges facing teachers in rural areas, better meeting the preferences of teachers can have long-term educational benefits for children in these areas.