Long-term university partnerships to support early grade literacy

• In Event: University partnerships for sustainable development: the case of the Nigeria Center for Reading Research

Proposal

This presentation will discuss the general framework of the NCRRD development project. The goals of the project are as follows:
• Familiarize BUK faculty with the content and train them to deliver the pre-service courses in the teaching of primary grades reading that FSU is currently developing for teacher training colleges in Bauchi and Sokoto under the NEI+ project,
• Engage six key BUK faculty in a series of one-semester scholarly residencies at FSU’s Florida Center for Reading Research to familiarize them with the latest research in primary grades reading; to introduce them to the design, organization and objectives of a reading research center; and to study different models of academic program development, curricular content, and program design in reading,
• Engage BUK and FSU faculty in collaborative research on primary grades reading in Nigeria,
• Assist BUK in the development of postgraduate reading programs.

A central goal of this project is to develop within BUK a number of faculty capable of becoming leaders of the NCRRD. To do this, we will use the resources available at the Florida State University to enhance research skills, expand familiarity with cutting-edge research, and increase exposure to reading teacher graduate programs. We have developed a postdoctoral fellowship program which will welcome two BUK reading education faculty to campus each six months, for a total of six fellows. During the year following each fellow’s residency on campus, he or she will be mentored by an FSU faculty member to conduct applied reading research in Nigeria.

The postdoctoral fellows are housed at the Florida Center for Reading Research. FCRR is one of the preeminent reading research centers in the United States. FCRR is particularly known for its strength in quantitative research methodologies, including randomized control trials and other causal designs. The fellows are provided office space at FCRR and participate in a wide range of activities there, including lecture series and trainings. The fellows will receive both formal and informal mentoring in research skills, according to his or her needs and interests. Grant writing is also a component of the training, via workshops offered through FSU’s Office of Research.

Additionally, the fellows are affiliated with the FSU School of Teacher Education (STE). STE faculty offer a series of five courses which lead to an endorsement in reading for teachers in training. These courses will serve as potential models for the BUK programs that will be developed as part of this initiative. After returning to BUK, fellows will adapt these courses to reflect the Nigerian context and local curricula.

In order to provide a broad view of the literacy landscape in Florida, we will also facilitate meetings between the fellows and policymakers at the Department of Education, headquartered in Tallahassee. Additionally, fellows may spend time in the Florida State University Schools and in local Leon County schools. This approach will allow the fellows to understand how the various parts of the education system—elementary schools, teacher training institutes, governmental agencies, and other community groups—work together to promote early literacy.

Author

• Stephanie Simmons Zuilkowski, Florida State University