Learning through Play in the PlayMatters Ethiopia Emergency Response Mechanism

• In Event: Learning through Play in Emergencies: Lessons Learned in Implementing Learning through Play in Acute and Protracted Crises

Proposal

Ethiopia, the ninth largest refugee-hosting country, has also been impacted by additional crises such as drought, internal conflict, and the COVID-19 health pandemic. The armed conflict and displacement that began in November 2020 primarily affects Tigray, Afar, and Amhara regions, resulting in adverse effects on educational facilities, learning outcomes, and the psychosocial well-being of millions of school-aged children. 2.7 million children in northern Ethiopia have been affected by damaged schools, schools transitioned into shelters for IDPs. Needs assessments and situational reports reveal that humanitarian needs are cross-cutting. Although active conflict has ceased due to brokered peace in 2021, continued instability and insecurity persists, particularly in the Amhara region, between national and regional parties.

Following the onset of conflict, PlayMatters and the LEGO Foundation re-allocated resources from its larger Learning through Play (LtP) education technical assistance project for a one-year Emergency Response Mechanism (ERM) targeting conflict-affected areas between September 2022 - August 2023. The ERM employed an inter-sectoral holistic response cutting across the education, child protection, WASH, and health and nutrition sectors. As part of the education in emergencies (EiE) component, the PlayMatters ERM contextualized PlayMatters’ Learning through Play (LtP) intervention to support the uptake of such methodologies in emergency contexts. This included in-service training for teachers and provision of teaching and learning materials to support the uptake of LtP. While there is emerging evidence of the role of LtP and active teaching methods in low-resource contexts and contexts of protracted crisis, there is little evidence on the role of LtP teaching methods in crisis, recovery, and fragile contexts.

This study draws on qualitative data captured from 37 classroom observations followed by semi-structured interviews from 6 schools in the Amhara region participating in the ERM, answering the primary research question, “What are promising practices of Learning through Play (LtP) participatory teaching methods in crisis-affected settings in Ethiopia?”. This study analyzes observed classroom practices and teachers’ accompanying perspectives using the larger PlayMatters’ definition of LtP and broader EiE pedagogical competencies derived from the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies’ Teachers in Crisis Contexts Primary Training Pack. This study investigates the relevance of LtP approaches in emergency response and how it is operationalized in practice. This study also elucidates promising LtP practices grounded in the challenging reality of implementation amongst insecure and fragile contexts. This highlights opportunities for other EiE responses to conceptualize and implement LtP as a quality EiE response.

Authors

• Jonathan Kwok, International Rescue Committee

• Tsegaye Lolaso Lenjebo, International Rescue Committee

• Anne C Smiley, IRC