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Research on effective teaching is perhaps the line of analysis that has most improved the quality of education. The objectives of this article are to identify the factors that make teaching effective and to determine the impact of each factor, as well as to elaborate an Ibero-American model of effective teaching. Multilevel analysis with four levels is used, with four product variables: two in cognitive development (achievement in language and achievement in mathematics) and two in social-affectivity (self-concept and satisfaction at school), considering the student's previous achievement. An analysis is made of information regarding 5,722 students in nine Ibero-American countries. The existence of ten factors of effective teaching is proven. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores teachers' habits (1) in terms of setting homework for their students and (2) in terms of building on homework in the classroom. Based on data collected in UNESCO's Second Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study (SERCE), the sample size of this analysis is about 200,000 Primary Grade 3 and 6 students in 16 Latin American countries. SERCE applied standardised achievement tests and context questionnaires to these students, their families, teachers and principals of the schools involved. Choosing four aspects (student, classroom, school and country) for their multilevel study and focusing on two subjects (Mathematics and Language), the authors of this paper investigated the relationship between homework and students' academic achievement. The results of their analysis show that the majority of Latin American teachers set homework in all or almost all classes. Ninety per cent of the teachers estimated that it took their students between 15 and 30 minutes to complete their homework. Follow-up figures in terms of checking and correcting homework were somewhat lower, as was the number of teachers who actually built on homework in teaching sessions. This study highlights the importance of following up on the contents covered in homework in the classroom to maximise effective learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this investigation is to determine the incidence of school infrastructure and resources and its impact on the academic performance of primary education students in Latin America. A 4-level multilevel model was applied to the data of the Second Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study (SERCE) conducted by UNESCO, which researched 180,000 students in the 3rd and 6th grades of primary education at 3,000 schools from 15 countries in Latin America. Results show that the availability of basic infrastructure and services (water, electricity, sewage), didactic facilities (sport installations, labs, libraries), as well as the number of books in the library and computers in the school do have an effect on the achievement of primary education students in Latin America, but their relative weight varies significantly from country to country. These results indicate the need to continue investment in resources and facilities and to incorporate this factor into school effectiveness models that are meant to become universal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education systems in Latin America are demanding an improvement in their present levels of quality and equity. In order to achieve higher levels in these fields, decision-taking is necessary in all educational areas, and the theoretical-practical movements of school effectiveness and school improvement (SE and SI) can help in this task. Nevertheless, current research is neither sufficient nor satisfactory, as it is deeply ethnocentric. At the beginning of the year 2000, the Ibero American Network for Research on School Effectiveness and School Improvement (RIEME) was created with the aim of promoting research and communication on these research fields. Among its activities, the following can be mentioned: to promote international research on SE and SI; to develop and maintain a closed e-list and a web page; to organise meetings, training and advise activities, and so forth. RIEME works as a Network of networks, and is widespread in Spain, Portugal and most countries in Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]