"There are large differences across countries in instructional time in schooling institutions. Can these differences explain some of the differences across countries in pupils' achievements in different subjects? While research in recent years provides convincing evidence about the effect of...

I estimate in this article the effect of teaching practices on student achievements. I find that teaching based on the instilment of knowledge and comprehension (‘traditional’ teaching), and techniques that endow pupils with analytical and critical skills (‘modern’ teaching) has strong...