Belize: Improving Learning One Classroom at a Time

What really improves learning in schools? New buildings? More technology? Bigger budgets? An education program in Belize suggests something more fundamental: improving what teachers and students do together every day in the classroom.

The Education Quality Improvement Program II (EQIP II) in Belize, supported by the Inter-American Development Bank, showed that lasting gains in learning come from changing instructional practices at scale—and backing those changes with evidence. The result was not only better teaching, but fairer and more inclusive learning environments for tens of thousands of students across the country.

Low Learning Levels, Unequal Opportunities

Belize has long faced persistent challenges in education outcomes. A 2019 study found student performance in science and mathematics to be low at both the primary and secondary levels. Only about a third of primary students met national standards in science, and fewer than half of secondary students passed mathematics and science exams.

These challenges were not evenly distributed. Girls were less likely to excel in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects, and migrant students faced additional barriers associated with language, mobility, and socioeconomic vulnerability. Classrooms often relied on teacher-centered instruction, limiting opportunities for students to ask questions, solve problems, and apply what they learned.

Putting Pedagogy at the Center

EQIP II started with a simple insight: if learning is weak, we need to look closely at teaching. Rather than focusing on isolated reforms, the program put classroom practices at the center of systemic change. Teachers were treated not as passive beneficiaries of training, but as the main agents for improvement. At the primary level:

• The program scaled inquiry- and problem-based teaching methods nationwide. More than 2,300 teachers received coaching to strengthen how they planned, taught, and reflected on instruction.
• To address inclusion, over 1,500 teachers were trained to support migrant students through inclusive education strategies, multicultural classroom management, and immersive English language instruction.
• Teaching that recognizes the different needs of girls and boys was integrated across all levels to promote more balanced participation and interaction in classrooms.

At the secondary level, EQIP II introduced a bold innovation, the Itz’At STEAM Laboratory School, to improve instruction in science and technology for students in the 8th through 11th grades. The school’s approach brings together dynamic teaching, professional development of teachers, and evaluation.

Measuring What Matters

A defining feature of EQIP II was its insistence on evidence. Rather than assume that training automatically led to better teaching, the program followed up to make sure that teaching was actually better. Classroom video observations documented how teachers organized lessons, interacted with students, and supported engagement. Randomized evaluations tested whether changes in teaching practices actually translated into better learning outcomes. This feedback loop enabled the program to adjust and strengthen implementation over time.

In short, EQIP II asked a critical question that many reforms overlook: Did classroom practices really change?

Improved Learning

At the primary level, evaluations found that teaching practices shifted decisively toward student-centered instruction:

• Scores more than doubled on a Pedagogical Practice Index constructed for EQIP II to assess the quality in inquiry in teaching practices, classroom organization, and student engagement.
• Lesson quality improved by 23 percentage points system-wide, showing that improvements were not isolated success stories.

At the secondary level, teachers at the Itz’At school demonstrated stronger instructional practices than their peers at other schools. That students benefited was seen in the results of rigorous evaluation showing:

• Learning gains equivalent to roughly seven months of additional learning.
• Notable gains for female students in science and environmental studies that narrowed longstanding gender gaps.

Beyond test scores, students reported greater engagement and a stronger sense of belonging in the classrooms—an important signal that learning environments were becoming more motivating.

Results That Scale—Even During a Crisis

Implementation of EQIP II was not without challenges. But when the COVID‑19 pandemic disrupted schooling, the program adapted by shifting teacher development to hybrid formats and distributing over 9,700 digital learning resources. Rather than diluting its focus, these adaptations expanded reach and efficiency while keeping instructional improvement at the core. The end result tells the story:

• More than 93,000 students nationwide, including approximately 15,000 migrant students, benefited from improved learning under PAE II.

Building Sustainable Educational Capacity

Beyond immediate learning gains, EQIP II strengthened institutional capacity within Belize’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology. The ministry gained experience in using classroom-level evidence to guide policy, managing large-scale teacher development, and integrating gender and inclusion into core pedagogical strategies. 

Perhaps most importantly, the program demonstrated how education systems can implement complex reforms and generate high-quality evidence to inform future investments.

A Simple but Powerful Lesson

The success of EQIP II did not hinge on a single innovation, but instead was based on aligning pedagogy, professional development, evaluation, and inclusion around a clear theory of change. The lesson is clear and broadly relevant: improving learning at scale requires changing classroom practice at scale. 

When teachers are trained and supported, evidence is taken seriously, and equity is built into the core of reform, education systems can deliver meaningful and lasting change—one classroom at a time.