Education Commons^™

Aewg Guide To The Accelerated Education Principles, Kayla Boisvert, Jenn Flemming, Ritesh Shah

Education in Crisis and Conflict Network

A large number of donor agencies, non-governmental organizations and governments have set up AEPs to meet the needs of over-age, out-of-school children and youth. These programs vary widely and are of differing quality and effectiveness. While there is guidance on quality education and education in emergencies generally, prior to this Guide, no AEP-specific Principles have existed to support these stakeholders in designing, implementing and evaluating their AEPs.

With the goal of strengthening the quality of Accelerated Education (AE) programming

through a more harmonized, standardized approach, the Accelerated Education Working

Group, led by UNHCR and with representation from nine member organizations, …

A Review Of The Literature On Civil Society Funding For Education: Models For Zimbabwe, Vongaishe Changamire

Master's Capstone Projects

Humanitarian aid, development assistance and government budget allocations to education continues to dwindle resulting in an increase of the number of children out of school especially for low resourced countries. (GMR, 2015). Due to this, Zimbabwean education has become expensive and thus inaccessible to children in low income communities and rural areas. In 2012, more than 500, 000 students were recorded to be out of school in Zimbabwe. This paper, a comparative literature review, sought to identify challenges in current education funding, document various indigenous alternative models of funding and attempt to develop a Zimbabwean education financing framework from lessons …

Perceptions Of Quality In Higher Education In Afghanistan: A Case Study Of Shaheed Rabbani Education University, Homayoon Taheryar

Master's Capstone Projects

This study investigates how the concepts of quality and quality assurance (QA) standards are understood in the Afghan higher education system. First, I carried out a literature review of the available literature globally and then reviewed the available literature about Afghanistan’s higher education quality assurance system. Second, I conducted a case study at Shaheed Rabbani Education University (SREU), a public higher education institution in Afghanistan, to explore how academic staff at this university understand the concepts of quality and the QA standards. The study included qualitative interviews with seven key respondents at SREU. The findings from the case study suggest …

Problematizing Entrepreneurship (Education) In International Development: A Case Study Of A Youth Program In Burkina Faso, Nolizwe Mhlaba

Master's Capstone Projects

Entrepreneurship education and training (EET) has become more prominent on the international development agenda as a strategy for inclusive growth and poverty alleviation. Proponents of EET argue that it has reached marginalized groups - such as unemployed youth - in non-formal education settings, equipping them with the skills, mindsets, and knowledge to secure better economic outcomes for themselves. However, critics assert that the human capital focus of EET reflects a neoliberal orientation that essentially glosses over structural problems and shifts the burden of development onto the target populations of such programs. This tension underlies the dilemma of development work, whereby …

Jordanian Teachers' Opinions Of Effective Peace Education With Syrian Refugees, Michael Acosta

Master's Capstone Projects

This research highlights Jordanian teachers' perspectives on good peace education practices with Syrian refugees in Jordanian public schools. Since the start of the Syrian conflict, many International organizations invest time and money into integrating Syrian refugees into the Jordanian community, including public schools. However, many challenges still exist. In order to understand this phenomenon, Jordanian public school teachers participated in qualitative surveys and in semi-structured group interviews, where they discussed challenges and best practices used in their classrooms. From the surveys and semi-structured interviews, teachers discussed six categories of issues they face daily: societal, physiological, political, religious, and the role …

Responding To Complexity: A Case Study On The Use Of "Developmental Evaluation For Managing Adaptively", Kayla Boisvert

Master's Capstone Projects

Over the past 15 years, the international development field has increasingly emphasized the need to improve aid effectiveness. While there have been many gains as a result of this emphasis, many critique the mechanisms that have emerged to enhance aid effectiveness, particularly claiming that they inappropriately force adherence to predefined plans and hold programs accountable for activities and outputs, not outcomes. However, with growing acceptance of the complexity of development challenges, different ways to design, manage, and evaluate projects are beginning to take hold that better reflect this reality.

Many development practitioners explain that Developmental Evaluation (DE) and Adaptive Management …

Being Black (And) Immigrant Students: When Race, Ethnicity, And Nativity Collide, Chrystal A. George Mwangi, Shelvia English

Published Work

While Black immigrants share some of the racialized experiences of native-Black Americans, they also have distinctive experiences. U.S. education presents an important environment to investigate these experiences as immigrants have the fastest growing child population and these children are increasingly entering the education system. This paper engages a systematic review of the growing body of literature centering on Black immigrants across the U.S. P-20 pipeline (preschool through graduate school). Findings reveal that the presentation of Black immigrants is incomplete in terms of the frameworks and research designs used to examine their educational experiences, pointing to a larger issue of a …

Acculturation Stress, Psychological And Sociocultural Adjustment, And Development Of American Adolescents: A Qualitative Study Of Newton High School Exchange Students In China, Binbin Zhu

Doctoral Dissertations

Theories from the extant acculturation literature functioned to categorize international students’ adaptation experiences and predict their acculturation outcomes. Also, relevant studies focused mainly on students at the tertiary level. For adolescent students seeking self-development toward independence and autonomy, how they negotiated their identity challenges and tensions in a cross-cultural context, and how surrounding others in their socialization impacted on their psychosocial adjustment process and transformative experiences have not been actively explored. This qualitative study approached adolescent students’ acculturation as an integrated development and learning process to explore the effects of developmental and cultural factors on their cross-cultural adaptation, especially examined …

The Gaps Between Values And Practices Of Global Citizenship Education: A Critical Analysis Of Global Citizenship Education In South Korea, Hye Seung Cho

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines how Global Citizenship Education (GCE) is perceived and implemented in South Korea. GCE has received much attention worldwide among educators, policy makers, and organizations, as reflected by the Global Education First Initiative (GEFI), the Post-2015 education agenda, and The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Consistent with this global trend, the World Education Forum, held in South Korea, also facilitated interest and discussions in GCE in South Korea. Within the context of heightened interest in GCE both in the global society and South Korea as well, my dissertation explores the core features of GCE in South Korea focusing on …

Ownership In The Development Discourse: A Case Study In Education In Tanzania, Satomi Kamei

Doctoral Dissertations

Today, there is a solid consensus in the international development community that “country ownership” is essential to promoting sustainable development in developing countries. Many donors also address ownership as essential to improving aid effectiveness. In this context, there have been continuous debates and emphasis on the importance of ownership. Meanwhile, the debates were further accelerated by the “Paris Declaration” to reform aid delivery and country ownership as an aid effectiveness principle. Despite various attempts to better define ownership, the notion remains unclear and debatable. Furthermore, the development discourse is still largely dominated by international donors. Consequently, the ownership agenda is …

Transnationalizing Social Justice Education: Interamerican Frameworks For Teaching And Learning In The 21st Century, Mirangela G. Buggs

Doctoral Dissertations

Social Justice Education currently uses mostly U.S.-based theories and concepts, and it often relies upon nation-specific historical legacies and nation-centric contemporary understandings of patterns of inequality. This study offers interdisciplinary conceptual-historical frameworks garnered from historical studies, African Diaspora Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, along with studies of frameworks and pedagogies in critical and multicultural education to enlarge Social Justice Education. This conceptual study utilizes a world-historical analysis and focuses on the interconnectedness of the Americas—Latin America, the Caribbean, and North America— establishing a hemispheric and regional framework to inspire more transnational work in educational projects. Arguing that there are shared …

Usaid Eccn Policy Issues Brief: Accelerated Education For Out-Of-School Children And Youth In The Drc, Ash Hartwell

Education in Crisis and Conflict Network

This policy brief draws from the findings of USAID Education in Crisis and Conflict Network’s recent study on alternative education in the Democratic Repub­lic of the Congo in order to raise vital policy issues linked to achieving national and global goals for education. That study, after a careful review of relevant literature, involved fieldwork in North Kivu as well as interviews in Kinshasa with key informants from government ministries, UN agencies, the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Education, bilat­eral donor agencies, and international NGOs.

This brief is intended to serve as a catalyst for government, donor, and NGO dialogue …

Adaptive Management Annotated Bibliography, Ash Hartwell, Kayla Boisvert, Jenn Flemming, Julia Novrita

Education in Crisis and Conflict Network

The technical knowledge of the elements needed to provide equitable basic education is well established: well-crafted curricula, qualified teachers supported by professional development, adequate infrastructure, appropriate texts and instructional materials, and a regular process for assessing learning achievement. However, in conflict/crisis-affected environments, there are a host of barriers and challenges to providing these elements, including insecurity, weak institutions, inequalities, historical traumas, and fault lines. These contexts are deeply complex, dynamic, often times unpredictable, and difficult to manage.

USAID’s programs, while they often provide pilot and demonstration projects that point the way to system change, cannot sustain the delivery of education …

Usaid/Kampustan Eccn Simulation, Ash Hartwell, Kayla Boisvert

Education in Crisis and Conflict Network

This PowerPoint presentation introduces a complex simulation developed by the UMass Education in Crisis and Conflict Network (ECCN) project team. The simulation provided the basic framework of a training workshop for USAID education officers from multiple countries affected by crisis or conflicts, held in Bangkok during the week of October 31 to November 4, 2016.

Simulations are a powerful training methodology that is modeled on real-life situations, but are compressed in time and scope. Simulations are used to provide opportunity for active participation of all participants and to require them to understand various stakeholders. By having to take on various …

Sources Of Influence On Perceptions Of South Korean Youths About Unification Of North And South Korea, Surl Hee Kim

Master's Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research is to explore what information sources are influencing the perception of south Korean youths about unification between North and South Korea. The Research Examined the sources and the tone of message which the youths receive from non-school sources such as family, peers, teachers, religious institutions and media.

The research methodology combined a survey with interviews. Questionnaires were collected from a total of 273 students in 3 high schools located in metropolitan ares of Seoul in South Korea. Interviews with a student and a unification education lecturer who is a North Korean defector were also conducted. …

How Tinto's Theory Differs For Asian And Non-Asian International Students: A Quantitative Study, Suzan Kommers, Duy Pham

Published Work

Literature suggests that international students from Asian countries might differ in the way they can be supported in their efforts towards completing their degree. Using the 2004/09 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, the authors investigate how social and academic integration relate to the college persistence of Asian and non-Asian international undergraduate students at U.S. postsecondary institutions. Four logistic regression models revealed that Asian and non-Asian students differed in the way academic and social integration were related to persistence, depending on their year of undergraduate study. These findings signal the importance of year of study and cultural background in thinking about …

Integrating Cultures Within Formal Schooling: Exploring Opportunities For Cultural Relevancy In Peri-Urban Senegal, Karla A. Sarr

Doctoral Dissertations

Within the context of Education for All's (EFA) mandate for universal primary school attendance, the cultural relevancy of education is particularly salient to issues of educational quality. Drawing from the literatures on Indigenous knowledges and education, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, and mother-tongue based multilingual education (MTB-MLE), the lens of analysis for this study acknowledged that incorporating students' cultures and Indigenous knowledges within formal schooling may contribute to increased learning opportunities and thereby improve student outcomes. The purpose of the dissertation was to focus on the experiences of one Senegalese peri-urban primary school in incorporating students' cultures and realities. Research participants included …

A Critical Examination Of Policy And Practice In The Transition Experience For Students With Math Learning Disabilities In Mumbai, India, Melinda S. Eichhorn

Doctoral Dissertations

Although some research has examined the experiences of students with learning disabilities in Indian secondary schools (see Karande, Sholarpurwala, & Kulkarni, 2011; Karande, Mahajan, & Kulkarni, 2009), the role of policy in students’ transition into post-secondary education has been largely unexamined. This study is a preliminary effort at providing an investigation of special education policy in Mumbai and the impact on students’ transition to post-secondary education, especially in regards to mathematics. This study extends the current knowledge of students with learning disabilities in Mumbai by 1) taking an in-depth look at students with math learning disabilities specifically, 2) focusing on …

Cultivating Communities Of Practice To Develop Local Preparedness For Climate Change, Konda Reddy Chavva

Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this research was to study the effectiveness of field facilitators’ (FFs) community of practice in improving ways in which FFs and farmers communicate and work together to strengthen farmers’ climate change preparedness through identifying locally suitable adaptation strategies in drought-prone districts of Andhra Pradesh State in India. In development initiatives like the one studied, FFs are often the key liaison person with each community—farmers in this case. FFs interact regularly with farmers, with whom they establish and sustain critical relationships over time. Further, they take the lead in building farmers’ capacities by contextualizing technical information that professionals …

"For A Future Tomorrow": The Figured Worlds Of Schoolgirls In Kono, Sierra Leone, Jordene Hale

Doctoral Dissertations

Current research in Sub-Sahara Africa suggests that young women face challenges in accessing and completing schooling, due among other things to gender related school based violence (Bruce & Hallman, 2008; Dunne, Humphreys, & Leach, 2006; Lloyd, Kaufman, & Hewett, 2000). These studies, while valuable in providing documentation on school enrollment and school leaving, do not explore the motivational framework where young women remain in school. The purpose of this dissertation is to trace how schoolgirls’ identities or “figured worlds” (Gee, 2011) are co-constructed in particular contexts by the same cohort of schoolgirls, their teachers, households, and communities through an ethnographic …

Teachers’ Experiences Of Professional Development In (Post)Crisis Katanga Province, Southeastern Democratic Republic Of Congo: A Case Study Of Teacher Learning Circles, Paul St J Frisoli

Doctoral Dissertations

Teachers in (post)crisis contexts face an array of de-motivating factors such as insecurity, lack of pay, difficult working conditions, minimal leadership, and feeling undervalued (Johnson, 2006; OECD, 2009; Shriberg, 2007). To bolster their motivation and support their teaching, teachers in these settings need a forum where they feel valued as professionals (Asimeng-Boahene, 2003; Bennel & Akyeampong; Kirk & Winthrop, 2007). One model of teacher professional development (TPD) known as "Teacher Learning Circles"(TLCs) is currently being implemented in Katanga province in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for early grade reading teachers. TLCs strive to help teachers adopt innovative teaching techniques …

Understanding Health Issues Among Adolescent Females In A Northeast Province Of Afghanistan, Amina Davlatshoeva

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop a deeper understanding of the health issues facing adolescent females (ages 18-21) in rural, northeastern Afghanistan. Incorporating participant observations, in-depth interviews, and narrative inquiries, this study seeks to illustrate adolescent females’ perspectives on health issues. To achieve this goal, ten adolescent females were interviewed in rural, northeastern Afghanistan during 2010. The participants were between 18- and 21-years old. The one-on-one interviews were conducted in a multiple-response format and were structured around three research questions:

• How does a young female’s understanding of health issues shape her identity in northeastern Afghanistan?
• In what ways …

Computer Integration In Palestinian Secondary Schools: Theory And Practice, Kefah A. Barham

Doctoral Dissertations

The overarching exploratory question that guides this study is: “How can Palestinian secondary schools move forward and integrate computer technology effectively into education?” For the purpose of this study, computer technology integration is defined as the use of computing devices such as desktop computers, laptops, software applications and the Internet, and peripheral devices, such as printers, scanners, digital cameras, and overhead projectors for instructional purposes in Palestinian secondary schools in the cities of Ramallah & Al Bireh and Qalqilia & Azoon. The purpose of this study is to identify ways to help teachers working at the Palestinian Ministry of Education …

Leadership And Teacher Development In Palestine, Center For International Education

Leadership and Teacher Development (LTD)

In September, 2012, the Center for International Education (CIE) in the College of Education was awarded a $1 million sub-contract from AMIDEAST, with USAID West Bank & Gaza funding, to help with the reform of teacher education in the West Bank and Gaza, Palestine. The project, Leadership and Teacher Development, is a comprehensive education reform initiative focused on supporting the Ministry of Education and Higher Education's national effort in teacher development. The overall goal is to improve the quality of education through a comprehensive approach to leadership and teacher development, concentrating on in-service teachers in grades 5-10, principals, and supervisors, …

Through The Camera Lens Of Development: An Exploration Of Ngos' Representations Of Africa, Sebastian Lindstrom

Master's Capstone Projects

The purpose if this qualitative research is to acquire new knowledge in the African visual representational landscape, a digital space carefully filmed and edited by some of the most celebrated and acknowledged, mostly Western, NGOs in the world. The most watched Africa-related video from 50 NGOs were selected, downloaded and analyzed. After continuous re-watching of a 3.5 hour long set of visual data tree themes emerged. One segment relates around the NGOs intervention, another about the term or statement ‘help’, and the last theme is HIV/AIDS. The findings include the realization that the beneficiary was never explaining the intervention of …

Through A Critical Sociocultural Lens: Parents’ Perspectives Of An Early Childhood Program In Guatemala, Yaëlle Stempfelet

Master's Capstone Projects

The present case study is on an Early Childhood program in Guatemala based on participant parents’ feedback. The Early Childhood program is non-formal, focuses on emergent literacy and nutrition, and takes place in a community-run library in a poor, semi-rural town in the mountainous regions of Quiche, Guatemala. The library was set up by a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that works in Guatemala as well as another neighboring country.

Using a critical sociocultural lens, this study assumes that the parents’ perceptions reflect the state of the program and that involving their feedback through this research will ultimately help to bolster the …

Ingos In The Mirror: Critical Reflections Of Practitioners Implementing Psychosocial Support Programs, Stephen M. Richardson

Master's Capstone Projects

The purpose of this qualitative research is to learn from the professional wisdom of practitioners involved in implementing school-based psychosocial support in conflict-affected contexts. Practitioners from four different International Non-governmental Organizations (INGO) working in three different contexts—the Congo Basin region, the South Asia region, and the Sudan region—reflect on the concepts and realities of the psychosocial support models that their organizations use. A common theme emerging from these interviews is that the approach to psychosocial support has the potential to do harm. The practitioners provide real examples of the ways in which harm may occur and their possible causes. These …

Learning Circles Face-To-Face Template, Center For International Education

Leadership and Teacher Development (LTD)

This is a template for a group learning activity. It includes

Welcome, Objectives, Agenda

Reflection (Ordered Sharing)

Learning (Reflective Study)

Regrouping

Planning (Commitment to Action Research / AR)

Consolidation & Action

Tips On Facilitation For Teacher Educators, Center For International Education

Leadership and Teacher Development (LTD)

23-item list of tips on facilitation, in both English and Arabic. For example

1. Implement a system that encourages every person to participate in discussions and activities. Provide a structure for participation.

2. Come to the workshops/training well prepared. Have all the materials and handouts you will need.

3. Make yourself approachable to participants by greeting them, learning their names, having informal conversations with them.

Portfolio Of Professional Practice (Popp) For Teacher Educators, Center For International Education

Leadership and Teacher Development (LTD)

A PoPP is a collection of work that highlights and demonstrates my knowledge and skills of professional practice as a teacher educator. The rationale for creating my PoPP is to:

• Provide opportunities to set concrete goals for my practice as a teacher educator;
• Plan and articulate specific strategies to attain my goals of becoming an effective teacher educator;
• Serve as a learning instrument and provide structure by which to gather data;
• Reflect upon data and guide improvements in my professional practice as a teacher educator;
• Offer the opportunity to critique my work and evaluate the effectiveness of my practice as …