Designing and delivering accredited social science training for refugees: learnings from the hybrid training strategy for Voices of Refugee Youth

• In Event: Refugee research on post-primary education: evidence and reflections from Voices of Refugee Youth, a longitudinal study in Rwanda and Pakistan

Proposal

This paper will explore the development, delivery and learnings from the accredited, graduate-level training course in social science research, which was a core design component of the Voices of Refugee Youth study.

OVERVIEW

A rigorous training programme in social science research methods was developed, in order to equip the refugee youth researchers with the skills required to be fully engaged in all aspects of the study and to provide them with an internationally accredited qualification from John Carol University. The curriculum was designed to cover all stages of the research cycle, including developing research questions and methodologies, collecting and analysing data, and presenting and disseminating findings. Beyond equipping participants in the skills necessary to conduct the research, the course also contributes to an overarching objective of Voices of Refugee Youth: to support refugees’ access to further education and employment opportunities in the wider education research sector.

The paper will also cover the shift from in-person delivery of course content, originally designed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, to a hybrid format, combining a blended learning approach of in-person and online learning from 2020. Challenges and lessons learned will be shared.

CONTRIBUTION AND SIGNIFICANCE

This presentation will therefore contribute to wider discussions about how to deliver accessible education opportunities for refugees in order to increase participation and equity in the research sector. It will facilitate conversations about ways that training can enable greater engagement of refugees in refugee research, through a reflection of the contextual benefits and challenges encountered during this specific study.

Furthermore, in light of the changes that were made to the course - to enable online learning during the COVID-19 lockdowns - this presentation offers a valuable opportunity to discuss the potential benefits of hybrid learning approaches for learners who are often excluded from higher education opportunities.

Author

• Gentille Gasanabandi, Jigsaw Consult