Co-creating tools for improving holistic learning outcomes using evidence from design thinking and play-based teaching interventions in Tanzanian primary schools.

• In Event: Co-creating evidence from the bottom up: The Schools2030 approach to understanding what works in raising holistic learning outcomes.

Proposal

Evidence indicates ongoing issues with the standard of pedagogical skills in supporting children to learn (USAID, 2016). Very few students report that their teachers use active instructional techniques in the classroom to encourage student engagement and build academic knowledge in line with the curriculum (USAID, 2016).

The vast majority of research on learning in the Global South focuses on testing top-down strategies with top-down measures. This is also true of the limited research available on children’s holistic learning outcomes, especially social and emotional skills (Puerta, Valeria and Bernal 2016; Burde, Kapit, Wahl, Guven and Skarpeteig 2017). Research in Tanzania on contextually relevant measurement of social and emotional skills has found that many competencies deemed important in Tanzania are not included in the most prominent frameworks of social and emotional competencies (Jukes et al. 2018). Identification and measurement of contextually relevant skills in Tanzania, and globally, remains a challenge.

This research project aims to contribute to the research base on holistic quality learning in Tanzania by testing school-driven innovations and teaching strategies using contextualised measures for social and emotional learning (SEL) designed in close collaboration with school stakeholders in marginalised communities. This aspiration aligns with the overall Schools2030 program aim which seeks to understand what works to promote holistic quality learning and seeks to equip school-level actors with knowledge, skills and platforms to better design, measure and showcase solutions.

For this purpose, the research team has formed a research-practice partnership that will work together with Tanzanian education officials and school communities to test the effectiveness of key elements of the two active learning approaches, using measurement tools developed in close collaboration with children, parents, teachers and school staff in Tanzania.

The central research question asks, “how are holistic learning outcomes impacted by the common attributes of Design Thinking Approach (DTA) and Play-based Learning (PBL) in Tanzania”? Students will be surveyed from 40 schools where the identification and definition of social emotional learning (SEL) skills will be contextualised through ethnographic interviews and ranking methodology. Once a set of contextually relevant SEL skills has been defined, a comprehensive measurement tool will be developed and used with a sample of 800 grade 4 students across 4 districts in Tanzania.

The findings from this research will be validated with national education stakeholders with the aim of supporting the development of teaching guides in schools. The research intends to work with education stakeholders to develop and digitise (if possible) a simple-to-use formative assessment tool by teachers for monitoring of children’s learning progress and making of necessary adjustment in real-time to support children’s learning journey. Also, the results, including the selected socioemotional skills and interpretations of them, will be used to prepare key messaging with the school community including parents. National-level Stakeholders from the Ministry of Education will quality assure the process at national and district levels. They will receive the research summary result and use this evidence to update teaching guidelines in schools.

Authors

• Elizabeth Germana, Right To Play

• Andrea Diaz-Varela, Right To Play International

• Nikhit D'Sa, University of Notre Dame