Exploring the gendered nexus of school and teacher characteristics on learning outcomes in a digital society

• In Event: Exploring gender dynamics in educational projects and settings

Proposal

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 commits to ensure that, by 2030, “all girls and boys access and complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.” In a highly digital world, at the primary level, every child should complete primary school and achieve at least minimum proficiency in reading and numeracy with the necessary digital skills. In realizing SDG 4 and SDG 5, the Constitution of Kenya guarantees the right to free and compulsory basic education (Article 53 (1) (b)). Article 55 (a) ensures access to relevant education and training for all youth, including through affirmative action programs. The Kenya Basic Education Act of 2013 further emphasizes the right to education for all children, regardless of gender.

The teacher is central to the implementation and realization of quality education for all. This calls for us to understand how various social identities such as gender, class, and sexuality intersect to create unique experiences in the context of teaching and learning. The intersectionality of drivers of learning especially among teachers elaborates how overlapping identities such as the ICT know-how among teachers affect students' learning outcomes. The schooling community from a marginalized and disadvantaged background may face compounded disadvantages. In a highly digital society, the intersections among teachers can be further complicated by the digital divide, where access to technology and digital literacy skills are unevenly distributed.

Over the last five years, the government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Education Science and Technology introduced a Digital Learning Program (DLP) to train and support teachers in using ICT in teaching and learning in all schools in the country. This is aimed at preparing the teacher well to handle the 21st century skills. However, research findings indicate a shouting disparity between teachers and schools on how they are prepared to embrace and run with digital education and e-learning in the era of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). This is where we need to inquire how the teachers are prepared and naturalized enough to handle digital natives (learners), and how the parents and school management are prepared in terms of infrastructure to plunge into digital education given the status of the school and community ICT know-how.

And finally, what space and attributes do both male and female teachers need to efficiently lead and teach in schools? Gender-responsive pedagogy (GRP) focuses on creating an educational environment that acknowledges and addresses gender disparities in teaching and learning. Teachers need to be adaptive to hi-tech teaching methods, robust curricula, and school policies to meet the diverse needs of all students, particularly those who are marginalized based on gender. In a digital society, GRP emphasizes the integration of technology in ways that promote gender equity, such as ensuring equal access to digital tools and resources for all genders. Teachers play a crucial role in this by fostering an inclusive classroom culture and being apt in using teaching and learning.

Despite the substantial gains in Kenya, which is evidenced by enhanced access, retention, quality and completion rates, and efforts to address gender disparities, research findings from the Usawa Agenda’s Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (FLANA) reveal that there is a digital divide with private schools generally having better facilities than public schools. The findings further indicate that the overall levels of digital literacy in public primary schools remain alarmingly low. Only 3 in 10 primary schools have computer labs, and in rural areas, just 2 in 10 are connected to the internet, with only 20% of schools nationwide having internet access.  Similarly, urban schools have better ICT facilities than rural schools. Further, there exists a disparity in learning outcomes among boys and girls as many children cannot read and write, or/and do not possess basic numeracy skills. Factors such as school resources and infrastructure factors (including ICT facilities) intersect to widen gender disparities and impact learning outcomes.

This study utilized mixed method research where both quantitative and qualitative research approaches to provide a comprehensive understanding of how school and teacher characteristics affect learning outcomes in a digital society. The study mainly utilizes an in-depth interpretation and analysis of FLANA, 2023 data. The data includes surveys from over 1,800 public primary schools, more than 38,000 household heads, and an assessment of learning outcomes from over 39,000 children aged 6-15 years. The analysis explores how gender interacts with teacher-related factors and examines how teachers and school resource infrastructure influence learning outcomes in a digitalized world and era. This paper proposes policy recommendations for a holistic approach to gender equality and digitalization in teaching and learning, ensuring that gender aspects are mainstreamed in policy-making and implementation to ensure that both boys and girls are prepared and equipped to participate in an increasingly digitalized educational landscape for work and life.

Authors

• Ochi M Boaz, Usawa Agenda

• Dennis Nyakundi, Echidna Giving

• Mary Chepkemoi, Zizi Afrique Foundation

• Winny C Ngeno, PAL Network