Drawing Production Function for Lower Secondary Schools: An input - output technique

In this research we utilized of an input-output technique to draw the production function of lower secondary schools in the country’s provinces (Iran). Internal efficiency of educational system (output) was determined using educational cohort and base on criteria provided by UIS and IIEP for internal efficiency. Measures of student- teacher ratio, student-class ratio and annual expenditure for students and teachers were considered as educational inputs using ‘statistical yearbooks of the Ministry of Education’. The data gathered from all resources were analyzed using T-test and Linear Regression. Results were shown a negative relation between student- teacher ratio and internal efficiency (P<0.01) while a positive relation were observed for student-class ratio and internal efficiency (P<0.05). No significant relations were found for other inputs. Finally, the production function of internal efficiency of lower secondary schools (using Multiple Regression analysis and F test) was drawn: 84.81-0.57 student-teacher ratio + 0.52Student-class ratio.