A study concerning the relevance of using quality measures of education in economic growth models of sub-Saharan African nations

Recent literature within the field of economics has studied the relationship between human capital and economic growth. Using the quantity of education as a proxy for human capital, these studies have led to an unclear understanding of the mechanism between education and development. Many economists support the need for a complete specification of this relationship. Included in these approaches is the application of measurements of educational quality. This paper will provide theoretical support for two models to explain the relationship between improvements in educational quality and economic development. The first is a macroeconomic model attempting to demonstrate this relationship by using variations in test scores on international exams. A second microeconomic model is discussed that accounts for variation in inputs as well as contextual factors and pedagogical differences in the classroom.