Co-convenor: Freda Wolfenden, The Open University
As we approach 2015 there are a number of new challenges to consider when planning and prioritising education provision. This includes factors such as demographic shifts, the increasing availability of technologies, economic growth, changes in patterns of inequality and climate change, which all have potential impacts on education. The resulting changes in livelihoods are requiring a reconceptualising of appropriate skills. How might these differ across contexts and what actions are required to ensure equitable access to skills development programmes? How can young people be best prepared for these changes?
There is emerging agreement that we need to understand more about the process of learning in different contexts. This includes the ‘quality agenda’, but what forms of evidence are most useful in conceptualising learning in the post-2015 debate? What are the implications of the increasing use of standardised tests, including cross-national examinations? How can we capture a broader set of competencies and what should these include?
New knowledge, approaches and methods from other fields are increasingly informing education policy and practice in adult and lifelong learning as well as school systems. For example, findings from cognitive neuroscience are being extensively promoted within early childhood education. Is there sufficient discussion of their relevance and understanding of how to apply these findings to the complex reality of education practice? How best can interdisciplinary dialogues be strengthened and advanced? What forms and areas of multidisciplinary research are offering new insights and potential solutions?
Available Papers
Teacher Characteristics Actions and Perceptions: What matters for student achievement in Pakistan?
Shenila Rawal, Department of Quantitative and Social Sciences, Institute of Education, University of London
Monazza Aslam, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Institute of Education, University of London
Baela Jamil, Idara-eTaleem-o-Aagahi (ITA), Pakistan
Substandard teaching is believed to be the foremost reason for poor quality schooling in the developing world. This paper uses unique data from primary schools in the state of Punjab in Pakistan to delve into the issues that may determine what makes one teacher more effective than another. The hypothesis that differential teacher effectiveness stems from far more than observable teacher characteristics is tested and more nuanced reasons behind these differences are examined. In particular, teacher attitudes and opinions are investigated to give a more holistic approach to researching teacher effectiveness and its impact on student learning.
Models of instruction: from reading towards literacy
Marcia Davidson, Cambridge Education
Jenny Hobbs, Concern Worldwide
International learning assessment tools have contributed to increased global recognition of a crisis in literacy levels in developing countries. As practitioners, education-focused NGOs are well placed to share learning on models that are effective in improving literacy levels in extremely poor countries. To improve literacy standards at scale it is imperative that the community of practice identifies viable models and essential components of literacy interventions. This paper consolidates learning from two NGOs – Room to Read and Concern Worldwide – on good practice in improving reading levels of students. Drawing from programme experience and recent data from over 20 education programmes in some of the world’s poorest countries, the authors identify the “non-negotiables” of education supports. A conceptual model of “the simple view of reading” is provided presented, grounded in evidence of improved reading achievement for students. This parsimonious approach strives for low-cost, sustainable solutions while reconciling this with necessities for literacy success. Successful models of engagement with stakeholders are presented, together with lessons learnt. Complexity is then added. The authors recognise that the “non-negotiables” presented in the paper are true for programmes that strive to improve reading achievement, but that they must be expanded if a wider view of literacy is to be achieved. Communication skills and higher order language competencies are imperative for meaningful learning and personal development. The implications of a wider view of literacy are presented and compared to the parameters established as “non-negotiables”. The authors then present a set of considerations for practitioners striving to improve literacy levels in developing countries.
Developing a New Education Strategy from an Equity Perspective: Lessons learned from a case study
Jan Fransen, Education Advisor, VVOB, Belgium
Tom Vandenbosch, Education Advisor, VVOB, Belgium
Sven Rooms, Programme Director, VVOB, Belgium
Bart Dewaele, Director-General, VVOB, Belgium
This paper describes the process a medium-sized agency active in education for development went through to determine its new global objectives, and draws some valuable lessons for others who may be considering reviewing their own strategies. This strategy formulation process happened in an era of new challenges (such as growing inequalities in terms of learning), evolving country strategies in education, newly emerging scientific knowledge about education in the early years, continuing specialisation amongst agencies, and post-2015 discussions. A deliberate choice was made for a number of participatory subprocesses, which led to one overall strategy with three clear objectives. Equity was used as an overarching starting point in the development of the new strategy, and appears implicitly in all three of the global objectives. The choices made also took into account considerations of coherence, synergy and practicality of implementation. The approach to realise the objectives is to enhance the capacities of partners like teacher training colleges, ministries… to ensure that the latter are capable to realize their own education priorities. The paper reflects on how the choices made are likely to remain relevant in the post-2015 education agenda. We conclude our paper by providing some tips and tricks on how to develop strategies which are clear, simple and measurable, and which put equity in learning at the centre of envisioned results.
Transformative Education Model in Cameroon
June Gorman, Co-founder, Transformative Education Forum
The Transformative Education Forum held in Monterey, California in 2011 gathering international educators from 5 continents, developed 12 founding Principles of what defined “Transformative Education” in a globalizing world; these included the five core Principles of Human Rights, Sustainability, Morality/Ethics and Spirit, Diversity, andfinally Economic and Social Justice. The remaining seven Principles focus on more specific elements, which were deemed by all attendees as necessary in the creation of a new pedagogy required by humanity in order to thrive harmoniously on a shared, sustainable planet. The new pedagogy is in part based on new neuroscience educational research, which illuminates more extensively how all human brains prefer to learn and what any sensitive parent or teacher already understands: children learn best by loving and living what they are learning. These findings also suggest children learn best with teachers and climates that reinforce that love of learning, tied concretely to students’ experiential environment and traditional culture. This is humanity’s greatest potential problem-solving resource: Children taught in ways to bring out diverse innovative and original multiple intelligences, across their brain hemispheres – the left and the right – the linear and the creative – the passionate, compassionate and the sublime. The African Sustainable Agricultural Project (ASAP) initiated at TEF-2011, was created to employ the TEF Principles in a particular setting, to provide education that was specifically requested by many of the African TEF participants as best suited to their current environmental and cultural needs. Supported by the government and elders of Kumbo, Cameroon, ASAP is incorporating the TEF Principles in order to educate for the needs of the community in the most effective way for the entire community to learn and thrive together, a transformative model of education for sustainability, to benefit all.
Learners’ Participation in Multilingual Classroons in Tanzania: Case for a policy and practice dialectic
Anjum Halai, Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development East Africa
Pauline Rea-Dickins, Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development East Africa
Tanzania has a population of more than 42 million, with about 73.6 % living in rural areas from 120 tribal language backgrounds with implications for quality of education. Formal education constitutes 2 years of pre-primary education, 7 years of primary education, 4 years of junior secondary, 2 years of senior secondary education. Kiswahili is the language of instruction in primary school education, while English is the medium of instruction in post-primary education The country has made strides in reaching universal primary education primarily due to strong policy commitment to education since its independence in 1960, where successive government have seen education as necessary for development, so that the current primary school enrolment stands close to 97% . However, persisting deep concerns about the quality of primary education raises doubts about the extent to which primary schooling prepares learners for transition to and completion of secondary schooling. For education in post 2015 scenario, the authors raise issues for quality of learning and achievement by drawing on their vast experience of education and research in Tanzania. They maintain that the language in education policy is typically implemented from the perspective of monolingualism as a normative ideal. Hence, all interactions in the classroom are expected to happen only in the language of instruction, and multilingualism is seen as a deficit. However, the language practices situated in the social setting draw on all linguistic capital within the society and views multilingualism as a resource. To support post primary education, implementation of the language in education policy must challenge the prevailing assumptions about language practices and align it with situated practice in education.
Intercultural Education-An analysis of results and perspectives: A reflection based on the analysis of experiences of intercultural bilingual education projects implemented in Peru by CARE
Ana María Robles Capurro, CARE Peru, Education Program Coordinator
Lotte M. P. Renault, CARE USA, Regional Technical Advisor
The diversity of cultural backgrounds in classrooms has been increasingly recognized as an important factor in international and national education policy. Different perspectives on intercultural and multicultural education policies are emerging and redefining the role of education in a globalized context, taking into account the growing use of new technologies and economic condition. The intercultural education models implemented in Latin America, particularly in Peru, seek to respond to the quality and equity issues embedded in the challenge of realizing education as a human right. There are challenges at the level of education management, curriculum, production of learning materials, teacher training, parental and community participation in school and evaluation. Education systems range from monocultural models to bilingual intercultural education for indigenous populations, and emerging trends include building an intercultural education for all as part of the 21st century agenda. This paper proposes a reflection based on analysis of experiences of intercultural bilingual education projects implemented in Peru by CARE in partnership with the government and local organizations within the perspective of the intercultural curricular framework. These experiences had a transformative effect in traditional teaching‐learning processes, improving education outcomes and promoting deep changes in relationships between school and community. After four years of implementation in one of the project sites, pass rates in standardized tests for mathematics and Spanish increased from less than 3% at the baseline up to 42%. These outcomes contribute to the debate on the relevance of intercultural education and its implications for the teaching‐learning process in the post‐ 2015 agenda.
Developing Life Skills: constraints in the system, challenges in society
John Wood, Director, Education for Change Ltd., UK
Jake Grout-Smith, Consultant and Projects Manager, Education for Change Ltd., UK
Sophie Tanner, Research and Projects Manager, Education for Change Ltd., UK
Over the past two decades life skills education (LSE) has come to be seen as integral to preparing young people and adults to negotiate and mediate everyday cha llenges and risks and enable productive participation in society. LSE is also perceived as an important contributor to the quality of education. International and national commitment to LSE, witnessed by its increasing prominence in the EFA and MDG education agendas, has led to the rapid expansion of LSE initiatives, with a very wide spectrum of content, scale, approaches and goals. Yet there has been little monitoring or evaluation of structured, sustained LSE interventions and the learning outcomes achieved as a result of these interventions. In light of this, in 2011 Education for Change (E fC) was contracted by UNICEF to undertake a global evaluation of UNICEF-supported LSE initiatives. This paper discusses the findings from this evaluation, looking specifically at the common disjuncture between LSE interventions in educational systems (both formal and non-formal) and the wider social norms (both supportive and obstructive) in which those systems exist; the conceptual, methodological and operational dilemmas between psycho-social skills-led and content-specific skills-led LSE interventions; and the interdependence between LSE and child -centred teaching and learning approaches that expose both to the resource and capacity constraints of many educational systems.
Early Childhood Development: An Imperative for the Post-2015 Agenda
Louise Zimanyi, Director, Consultative Group on Early Childhood Development
Sheldon Shaeffer, Chairman, Executive Board, Consultative Group on Early Childhood Development
A significant gap in the discourse surrounding the post-2015 development agenda is the lack of attention being paid to Early Childhood Development (ECD). Over 200 million children under 5 years of age in low-income and middle-income countries – and increasing numbers in OECD countries and emerging economies – will not reach their full developmental potential because they grow up facing a broad range of risk factors, most notably poverty; poor health including HIV/AIDS and malnutrition; high levels of family and environmental stress and exposure to violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation; and inadequate levels of care and learning opportunities. This includes risks that result from emergencies related to conflict, climate change, and global demographic shifts through migration and urbanisation. Compelling evidence from economists and neuro-scientists, educators and health professionals, shows the impact of good-quality ECD interventions on immediate outcomes for children, especially those most disadvantaged — better health, nutrition, and cognitive development and thus on the new post-2015 focus on “learning”. But this evidence also proves significant impact on long-term social and individual outcomes: greater efficiency in the education system; lower costs for health, criminal, and social welfare systems; and more productive citizens able to participate more effectively in national development. Despite this evidence, progress in expanding ECD provision, especially among low-income countries and disadvantaged populations (e.g., the extreme poor, ethnic/linguistic minorities, learners with disabilities), has been slow – often because of government and development agency indifference, competition for scarce resources from other levels of education and other health priorities, and the fragmentation of ECD services across the many sectors which provide them. Ensuring that ECD is included in the plethora of post-2015 documents, debates, and consultations and in any new versions of the MDGs and EFA is therefore critical. This paper will reflect on the position of ECD in previous global education development movements, (2) review accomplishments and challenges of ECD between 1990-2015, and (3) re-vision or articulate the role of ECD in the post-2015 education and development agenda.