Education Commons^™

Perceptions Of Health Educators And Supervisors About Their Preparation In Alexandria, Egypt (How Well They Believe Their Training And Preparation Prepared Them To Work As Health Educators), Elshaymaa Ahmed

Master's Capstone Projects

Health educators have many responsibilities, including community education, assessment program development, evaluation, research, health policy and grant writing. Health educators in Egypt do not participate in all these activities, but they mostly do participate in essential activities such as community education. The health educators in Egypt get training and preparation on topics such as addiction, women’s health, chronic diseases, and the skills needed for teaching.

This study investigated the perceptions of health educators and their supervisors about how well they believe their training and preparation has prepared them to work with health clients in Alexandria, Egypt. The study includes interviews …

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 …

Action Research Package (Arp) For Teacher Educators Ltd Program, Center For International Education

Leadership and Teacher Development (LTD)

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Teacher Support Approaches In Afghanistan, Noorullah Noori

Master's Capstone Projects

This research explores the effectiveness of three teacher professional development (TPD) approaches in the context of Afghanistan: 2-year in-service teacher education; short-term (ad-hoc) teacher training; and teacher learning circles (TLC). In this research, I compare these three models, their impact on improving teacher quality and subsequently student outcome. I applied the mix-methods approach by using three different research tools: classroom observations, self-administered questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. I also reviewed student performance records over four semesters; from 2010 to 2011. Despite many challenges, the results show three core strengths of each of these models: the 2-year in-service teacher …

Resilience In School, Milka Ndura

Master's Capstone Projects

This study explores the factors that motivate students to perform well in the national examination at their basic primary education level despite the unlikely environment to support this success in Kibera slums, Kenya. In the current situation in Kenya, national examinations are used as a basis of distributing the fewer than students slots in secondary school, despite the different circumstances facing each candidate, passing of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education is still an important factor that determines a child’s eligibility to attend secondary school. Students enrolled in Kenyan primary school system take the same national exams regardless of the …

Teacher Attrition: Why Secondary School Teachers Leave The Profession In Afghanistan, Hassan Aslami

Master's Capstone Projects

This study examines factors influencing teacher attrition in public secondary schools in Kabul, Afghanistan. Substantial increments in the school-age population, the Education for All (EFA) mandate, and a “seven-fold” growth in number of students during the last decade have collectively increased the demand for teachers in Afghanistan; whereas, teachers from the public schools are leaving the teaching profession in large numbers. The lack of teachers poses serious challenges for the education system especially for Ministry of Education.

This exploratory study focuses on the reasons for the departure of both current and former teachers. It also explores and suggests some strategies …

Case Study Of Post-Literacy Program In Indonesia, Ryke Pribudhiana

Master's Capstone Projects

This study aims at analyzing a post-literacy program run by the Ministry of Education and Culture in Indonesia. This program, operating since 2009, provides public resources in the form of grant money to educational institutions and community learning centers (CLCs), not only to preserve literacy but also to help poor and illiterate people achieve economic independence. This study examined students’ achievements in literacy and life skills, and explored the program’s economic impact on communities. The interviewees who participated in the study included adult students, tutors, heads of CLCs, and senior education officers at the district, provincial, and Ministerial level. A …

Beyond Pronade: Ngos And The Formal Education Sector In Guatemala, Jacob A. Carter

Master's Capstone Projects

In Guatemala, the Ministry of Education (MoE) is overburdened with challenges;these include the most basic provision of services and support for public schools across the country. In the absence of a capable state presence, countless nongovernmental organizations (NGO) have sprung up to provide, sustain and/or take over basic education services. These NGOs come in all shapes and sizes, with different motivations, from different countries and receiving funding from a variety of national and international sources. The combination of rapidly increasing numbers of NGOs along with minimal state coordination means that the Ministry is unaware of the number of NGOs operating …

Recognizing Culture In Experiential Education: An Analysis And Framework For Practitioners, Valerie J. Kurka

Master's Capstone Projects

Experiential education is an intentional educational process that relies on experiential learning theory. This paper categorizes common features of experiential education and analyzes them with a cultural framework. Common features of experiential education include individual development, student-centered teaching, individual challenge and learning, challenge-by-choice, “emotional safety”, and reflection/processing activities. The features of experiential education that I have analyzed have basic cultural assumptions of high individuality, low power distance, low uncertainty avoidance, high achievement, emphasis on internal control, and possible interaction with ascriptive dispositions and masculine characteristics. These assumptions may have implications for practitioners practicing cross-culturally. In an increasingly global world and …

Atlas Program Profile Analysis Framework Data From: Adult Transitions Longitudinal Study, Laura Gluck

Master's Capstone Projects

This paper explores the theoretical basis and past research exploring what helps adults to learn effectively in the Adult Basic Education (ABE) setting. Information on eleven ABE-to-college transition programs was compiled through the Adult Transitions Longitudinal Study (ATLAS) data collection. Statistical analyses of the resulting program-level variables were conducted to examine their effect on transition course participants’ college outcomes. Four of the twelve variables analyzed were found to significantly impact the likelihood of participants enrolling in college and successfully earning at least three credits: 1) whether the program uses grades versus pass/fail marks; 2) whether the program has a documented …

Final Evaluation Report, Sagefox Consulting Group

IPY STEM Polar Connections

No abstract provided.

Breaking The Language Barrier: A Report On English Language Services In Greater Boston, Cristine Smith, L. Soricone, N. Singh, J. Commings, K. Shields, L. Stacks, A. Tull

Center for International Education Faculty Publications

Assesses Massachusetts' English for Speakers of Other Languages system, demand and supply for services, their quantity and quality, and challenges such as lack of coordination. Recommends ways to reduce gaps in services and raise efficiency and quality.

Certifying Adult Education Staff And Faculty, Cristine Smith, R. Gomez

Center for International Education Faculty Publications

The Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy (CAAL) commissioned this paper to help inform a CAAL Roundtable in New York City in June 2010. It examines three broad questions: (1) What adult education “certification and credentialing” systems for teachers and staff are currently in use in the U.S. (in terms of standards, requirements, and mechanisms)? (2) What benefits could a comprehensive adult education certification system have—for learners, teachers, and institutions? And (3), based on current practice and understanding, what steps might be taken to further examine difficult issues and develop a comprehensive certification system if one is desired?

Twaweza Evaluation Final Report, Gretchen Rossman, David R. Evans

Twaweza Initiative

This report covers the period October 1, 2009, through June 15, 2010, the effective date of the termination agreement. The sections of this report include: activities during this period; management, financial, and technical reports submitted; and a list of reports to be submitted.

Twaweza Independent Evaluation Overview Of Baseline And Other Surveys, Gretchen Rossman

Twaweza Initiative

As stipulated in the independent evaluation contract, CIE will implement baseline surveys at households, facilities (schools, health clinics), and communities using national randomly-selected samples in all three countries. These will be followed up in 2012 with a targeted micro-survey and then with full national-level random administrations in late 2013 or early 2014. The rationale for the baseline surveys and the subsequent full follow-up survey administrations is to measure change along key variables over time. The rationale for the mid-term micro-survey is to measure targeted change, using the full baseline study (including case studies) as a guide.

Given the key evaluation …

Twaweza Independent Evaluation Overview Of Case Studies, Mikala Lauridsen, Martina Ochiel, Gretchen Rossman

Twaweza Initiative

As the independent evaluator, CIE is charged with four primary goals: 1) verification of Twaweza’s outputs; 2) identification of outcomes/effects; 3) analysis of the relation between outputs and outcomes/effects; and 4) review of the appropriateness of Twaweza’s theory of change.

A secondary goal is to contribute to Twaweza’s learning and communications processes by making rigorous analyses which invite probing questions and discussions available on a regular basis to the Learning & Communications Team. This is often referred to as ‘formative evaluation’, although that concept trivializes the depth of interaction and supported questioning that Twaweza is committed to. These analyses and …

Twaweza Independent Evaluation Design, Gretchen Rossman, Ash Hartwell

Twaweza Initiative

This document describes the theoretical and conceptual framework for the independent evaluation of Twaweza. It describes and amplifies Twaweza’s theory of change: its key concepts, relationships and assumptions, and on this base articulates the evaluation’s conceptual framework, principles, approaches and methodologies.

A fundamental premise informs this work: the perspectives and lived experiences of citizens in East Africa will shape the theory and its evaluation. By implication, this design document provides a starting point (building on the body of previous research on evaluating social change and Twaweza’s work on this) that will be modified and shaped by experience with communities, citizens, …

Unpacking Twaweza's Theory Of Social Change: Citizen Agency, Information, Accountability, And Basic Services, Ethan Miller, Ash Hartwell, Gretchen Rossman

Twaweza Initiative

The purpose of this paper is to define the key concepts – and links between them – of Twaweza’s Theory of Social Change. These are the notions of citizen-driven change, citizen agency, information, monitoring and accountability, and basic services. The analysis shows ambiguities and, at times, conflicting working definitions in Twaweza’s use of these terms in its major public documents. We then integrate relevant scholarship to elaborate these central ideas and to pose questions that Twaweza may engage with in the spirit of its claims to be a “learning organization.”

Students’ Perceptions Of Effectiveness Of Hospitality Curricula And Their Preparedness, Imran Rahman

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Curriculum assessment has been an important tool in measuring the effectiveness of the curriculum to evaluate student learning and preparedness. This study develops a conceptual framework, based on course offerings and descriptions of the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, to evaluate how the curriculum contributes to students’ preparedness for their future career. Using an online field survey, this study examines the skills that contribute to students’ preparedness. Besides putting forward the strengths and weaknesses of the program, and identifying the significant skill areas that contribute significantly to students’ preparedness, findings of this study indicate …

The Great Dilemma Of Improving Teacher Quality In Adult Learning And Literacy, Cristine Smith

Center for International Education Faculty Publications

Recent research from the K-12 field indicates that professional development (PD) is a necessary (although not sufficient) factor in improving teacher quality. The research also clearly identifies ways to make professional learning activities for teachers effective. Yet the adult basic education and literacy (ABEL) field is not, for the most part, making use of this evidence in the design and support of PD for its teachers. The dilemma is that evidence-based teacher preparation practice can contribute to improved teacher quality, but it requires restructuring the way PD services are offered to the wide range of ABEL teachers. In this paper, …

A Unilateral Grading Contract To Improve Learning And Teaching, Peter Elbow

English Department Faculty Publication Series

Contract grading has achieved some prominence in our field as a practice associated with critical pedagogy. In this context, we describe a hybrid grading contract where students earn a course grade of B based not on our evaluation of their writing quality but solely on their completion of the specified activities. The contract lists activities we’ve found most reliable in producing B-quality writing over fourteen weeks. Higher grades are awarded to students who produce exemplary portfolios. Thus we freely give students lots of evaluative feedback on their writing, but students can count on a course grade of B if they …

Improving Higher Education Through User-Inspired Research: Findings From Multi-National Needs Assessments, Joseph B. Berger

Center for International Education Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Detailed Report Of Multigrade Workshop & Evaluation Summary, Center For International Education

Learning Initiatives for Rural Education

From May 18 to 21st, the international workshop of the project "learning initiatives for Rural Education" (LIRE) took place at Lamentin Hotel in Saly/Somone, Mbour, Senegal. The Workshop was organized by the Ministry of Pre-school, elementary, and Middle Schools of Senegal in collaboration with The World bank, and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

The LIRE project was financed through the World Bank-administered Bank-Netherlands Partnership Program (BNPP). Since August 2007, the project has been working with teachers, head teachers, inspectors and local education partners and administrative officials on training, materials development, monitoring tools and community advocacy around multi-grade pedagogy. The approach …

Final Report, Center For International Education

Learning Initiatives for Rural Education

Since August 2007, the Learning Initiatives for Rural Education (LIRE) project in Senegal and The Gambia has strengthened educators' capacity to deliver and support quality multi-grade (MG) education in rural areas with low population densities. In a truly collaborative approach, the LIRE project worked with 20 demonstration schools (13 in Senegal and 7 in The Gambia) to develop a teacher training manual and teachers' guide that was locally appropriate and in keeping with the curricula of each country. The LIRE team was truly international, with team members in Senegal, The Gambia and in the United States. The team met regularly …

Assessment Practice And Perception Of Social Science Instructors In Afghanistan, Delawar Darmal

Master's Capstone Projects

This thesis has been prepared with three objectives in mind. First, investigating and identifying the problems and challenge of assessment is essential to the quality of education as well as to the reform of education in Afghanistan. Any reforms and the improvement of education are greatly based on the findings of research. Therefore, this project is targeting to facilitate this process.

Second, this research project is aiming to explain the assessment that is practiced in Higher Education of Afghanistan. This is essential to two critical issues. It is useful not just to Afghan instructors to know about the assessment practices …

Civics And Citizenship Education In Schools In Afghanistan, Mohammad Tariq Habibyar

Master's Capstone Projects

This thesis focuses on the status of civics and citizenship education in schools in Afghanistan. My purpose for this study was (a) to understand what is taught about civics education in classrooms, (b) what concepts of civics education are addressed in the national curriculum and the text books, and (c) what role civics education plays in Afghan schools to produce productive citizens. My assumption is that schools have direct impact on civics understanding of the students and how they use their civics knowledge in everyday life. Civics education raises students’ political, governance, and social awareness and informs them about their …

The Role Of An Educational Website In Providing Better Opportunities For Kabul Education University, Siddiqullah Barikzai

Master's Capstone Projects

Technology has played an important role in improving and expanding education worldwide. Website is a part of technology through which institutions and companies can easily and cheaply share and advertise their profiles with rest of the world.

Kabul Education University (KEU) where I used to teach is a newly established (2003) university in Kabul (the capital city); it trains professional teachers for secondary schools. The university did not have a website till recently (June 2009), while all other public universities in Kabul had it. So, I developed a website for it due to the demand of the university administrators, teachers, …

Research On Undergraduate Mathematics Education In Afghanistan: How Students Understand And Learn The Concept Of “Function”, Ahmad Khalid Mowahed

Master's Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore undergraduate students’ conception of the concept of function in the education faculty of Balkh University, Afghanistan. In particular, the focus was to see what difficulties they had in learning the concept and to determine those factors that impeded/facilitated the learning of the concept in the curriculum. The research methodology was an exploratory approach where both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze the data. The theoretical basis for the study was David Tall’s theory which focuses on understanding one’s knowledge and learning. David Tall’s theory was used to analyze qualitative data …

Assessment Practices: Student’S And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Classroom Assessment, Sayed Ahmad Javid Mussawy

Master's Capstone Projects

The primary aim of this study is to explore pre-service teachers’ perceptions of classroom assessment. A secondary purpose is to explore the faculty members’ perceptions of classroom assessment and their expectations of students’ learning. This study examines what assessment approaches are being used in Baghlan Higher Education Institution, School of Education. In addition, the investigator was interested in learning the extent to which assessment results were used to improve students’ learning and classroom instruction.