PlayMatters Ethiopia Implementation Research Findings

• In Event: Improving Quality Implementation of Learning through Play Across East African Refugee Contexts: Implementation Research Findings from PlayMatters

Proposal

Two critical factors that influence changes in learner outcomes are curricular reforms and educators themselves. However, in the context of Ethiopia, despite several and repeated reforms, the child learning outcomes, including literacy and numeracy, have remained low over the last three decades. The situation is further exacerbated in humanitarian and protracted refugee contexts. A growing body of evidence suggests that play is one of the most important ways in which children gain knowledge and skills (Zosh et al, 2017). PlayMatters (2020-2026) is an education initiative that envisages an approach that strengthens refugee and refugee-hosting education systems’ capacity to train and support pre-primary and primary school teachers to use “Learning through Play” (LtP) as an active teaching and learning method and impact children’s socio-emotional learning, wellbeing, literacy, and numeracy achievements. These skills lay the foundation for technology literacy to provide children the skills to navigate an increasingly complex digital world.

We present implementation research results from the PlayMatters intervention in the Somali region of Ethiopia. Inputs included light infrastructural rehabilitation, provision of teaching and learning materials, and capacity building trainings for teachers, headteachers, school management committees, and local system actors. This study presents data from a mixed-methods sequential design including quantitative data (baseline and endline) and qualitative data (midline and endline) triangulated with ongoing monitoring and costing data. Findings are derived from 18 primary schools (8 refugee, 10 host community), 6 of which were included in the qualitative sample selected based on teacher classroom observations at baseline.

This presentation shares the experiences that proven the success of the intervention and the importance of LtP for both the educators’ practice and improved academic achievement of children in literacy and numeracy, and wellbeing. This mixed-methods study examined implementation fidelity and found positive gains from the baseline to the endline in all constructs of educators’ instructional practices, attitudes and belief about LtP, and educators’ occupational wellbeing. We also found significant positive changes from baseline to endline in domains related to social-emotional learning, literacy, numeracy, and well-being of children. This study sheds light on promising approaches to improving teachers’ competence and children’s learning and wellbeing in a crisis context through the implementation of LtP to scale up further in other contexts and the mainstream education system.

Authors

• Abraha Asfaw Ambaye, Addis Ababa University

• Silvia Diazgranados, International Rescue Committee

• Kassa Michael, Addis Ababa University