Design-Based Implementation Research for Digitally Enabled Education Reform: Teacher Professional Development in Tanzania
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| Title: | Design-Based Implementation Research for Digitally Enabled Education Reform: Teacher Professional Development in Tanzania |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Taskeen Adam (ORCID |
| Source: | British Journal of Educational Technology. 2026 57(3):715-745. |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 31 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Educational Research, Instructional Design, Program Implementation, Technology Integration, Intervention, Teacher Education Programs, Faculty Development, Learning Management Systems |
| Geographic Terms: | Tanzania |
| DOI: | 10.1111/bjet.70057 |
| ISSN: | 0007-1013 1467-8535 |
| Abstract: | Design-based implementation research (DBIR) offers a promising approach for refining and theorising the implementation and scale-up of education interventions. However, integrating technology into national education reforms in resource-constrained contexts adds complexity, involving multiple government bodies, implementers and researchers with differing institutional cultures. We examine how DBIR approaches can be enhanced to adapt to the complexity that technology and scaling bring into nationally led education interventions. To achieve this, we evaluate the DBIR principles and processes used with the Tanzanian government to design, implement and scale the national technology-supported teacher professional development programme. The intervention uses a Learning Management System, which teachers are intended to access through smart devices. Realist evaluation of two DBIR cycles was undertaken through documentary analysis and reflective workshops with the DBIR team (comprising international, Tanzanian and government researchers). The findings, presented as 10 context-intervention-mechanism-outcome statements, informed the development of the DBIR for digitally enabled education reform (DBIR4DEER) methodological guidelines. The discussion unpacks how DBIR4DEER contributes to the broader implementation research and EdTech literature by demonstrating how its enhancements from DBIR are well suited to navigate shifting government priorities, rapid scaling, technological turbulence and system-wide stakeholder dynamics. Recommendations include embedding different government bodies into DBIR for stronger evidence uptake, anticipating intervention changes from the volatile technology landscape, rigorously testing technology components before rollout and mapping spheres of control and influence as the intervention becomes unwieldy. DBIR4DEER offers practical guidance for researchers, implementers and policymakers seeking to strengthen EdTech implementation research in large-scale complex systems in low- and middle-income countries. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1503316 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Design-based implementation research (DBIR) offers a promising approach for refining and theorising the implementation and scale-up of education interventions. However, integrating technology into national education reforms in resource-constrained contexts adds complexity, involving multiple government bodies, implementers and researchers with differing institutional cultures. We examine how DBIR approaches can be enhanced to adapt to the complexity that technology and scaling bring into nationally led education interventions. To achieve this, we evaluate the DBIR principles and processes used with the Tanzanian government to design, implement and scale the national technology-supported teacher professional development programme. The intervention uses a Learning Management System, which teachers are intended to access through smart devices. Realist evaluation of two DBIR cycles was undertaken through documentary analysis and reflective workshops with the DBIR team (comprising international, Tanzanian and government researchers). The findings, presented as 10 context-intervention-mechanism-outcome statements, informed the development of the DBIR for digitally enabled education reform (DBIR4DEER) methodological guidelines. The discussion unpacks how DBIR4DEER contributes to the broader implementation research and EdTech literature by demonstrating how its enhancements from DBIR are well suited to navigate shifting government priorities, rapid scaling, technological turbulence and system-wide stakeholder dynamics. Recommendations include embedding different government bodies into DBIR for stronger evidence uptake, anticipating intervention changes from the volatile technology landscape, rigorously testing technology components before rollout and mapping spheres of control and influence as the intervention becomes unwieldy. DBIR4DEER offers practical guidance for researchers, implementers and policymakers seeking to strengthen EdTech implementation research in large-scale complex systems in low- and middle-income countries. |
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| ISSN: | 0007-1013 1467-8535 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/bjet.70057 |
