DOI: 10.14749/1418041426
title: Quality Learning Project (QLP) 2004 Gr9-11 Learner background: South Africa - National study

description: Description: 
 The data set contains the data from the learner background questionnaire, e.g. Learner profile, support received and learner participation, learner education and other background, school environment, reading proficiency, textbooks and learning materials, English and Mathematics class conditions.

 There were 378 variables and 6196 cases (2386 grade 9 and 3810 grade 11 learners).

 Slight differences occur between the realized sample as stated in the reports and those that appear in the published data. Cases were omitted in the learner questionnaire data if a paired learner test was not available. Learners who were absent on the testing would not have their background information included in the data.
Abstract: 
 The Quality Learning Project (QLP) is a five-year school improvement project intended to facilitate educational change in South Africa by working with district officials, school management teams and educators. The aim of the project was to improve learner performance in mathematics and the languages of instruction in Grades 8-12 in 524 schools nationally across 17 districts.

 As part of a large sum of money made available by the Business Trust during 2000 to 2004, R170 million went to the QLP (Quality Learning Project), managed by JET Education Services who were the programme intervention managers. Ten NGOs across all the provinces were responsible for administering the intervention and the HSRC was contracted to do an independent evaluation of the programme's impact in 70 experimental and 16 control schools, i.e. a sample of the 524 schools selected.

 A baseline survey was administered prior to interventions which allowed the HSRC to observe the situation within schools and districts. A mid-evaluation survey was conducted to monitor progress made. Finally in 2004 the final or summative study was conducted to evaluate the interventions as well as determine its effectiveness.

 The QLP evaluation study included 70 experimental schools and 16 control school. A total of 2386 grade 9 and 3810 grade 11 learners were surveyed in 2004.

 In addition 78 school principals (one for every sampled school) and 318 teacher questionnaire were administered.
description: Face-to-face interview
description: Observation
description: Only public schools in South Africa were included.
description: Owing primarily to financial considerations, data collection could not take place in all the schools. Thus a sampling strategy was adopted based on the following considerations:

Information had to be obtained from all districts participating in the QLP, thus all districts were included. 
A representative sample of schools had to be selected from each district, thus schools were selected in proportion to the total number participating in the QLP. 
The data collected should enable reporting and analysis at school level, therefore a random sample of learners across the targeted grades and learning areas was selected.


Based on the above requirements, a sample of 20% was deemed both adequate and cost efficient for obtaining representative information from schools across the 17 districts. Thus, 102 schools were selected to participate in the surveys and learner assessment component.

Schools were selected proportionally using school size and matriculation results as sampling criteria. The matriculation results were used since the aims of the QLP focus primarily on the improvement of 'low performing schools' as defined by the matriculation results published by the National Department of Education (2000).