A CYCLIC PROBLEM FOR EMERGENT ECONOMIES:

TEACHER QUALITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN LATIN AMERICA

The relationship between teacher quality and economic growth has rarely been addressed in existing research and remains indirectly established given the transitive link between teacher quality, student educational outcomes, and economic growth. We identify this as a salient concern for emerging economies in Latin America due to the extremely poor teacher quality and weak economic performance on the global scale. Our research surveys the existing literature regarding this relationship in general, gives background on education in Latin America, and provides a deeper analysis of teacher quality in Mexico using the TALIS 2013 dataset from the OECD. We see that more than 90% of teachers in Mexico do not have a bachelor’s degree, which raises serious questions about content and pedagogical preparedness. To address these concerns, we propose a policy of selectivity for teacher training programs, recommend this is accompanied by salary augmentation, and discuss Finland as an example of reform. We conclude by identifying the key limitations of our investigation and allude to further research that is needed on the topic.

Keywords: Teacher quality in Mexico, teacher preparation programs, teacher surplus, TALIS