Beyond literacy: Curriculum reform and systemic challenges to holistic learning in conflict-affected Jordan

• In Event: Highlighted Session: Pedagogy and Curriculum in the Middle East and North Africa Region

Proposal

Located in the heart of the Middle East, Jordan’s education system has been impacted by regional conflicts for decades. Currently, more than one-third of its 11 million population are refugees, including 1.3 million Syrians, 2.3 million UNRWA-registered Palestinians, and significant numbers from Iraq, Yemen, and Sudan. In the past decade, Jordan’s government has strived to ensure all children in its kingdom can access educational provision. However, although Jordan has achieved near-universal access to schooling, the country faces a persistent quality gap: 52% of 10-year-olds cannot read and comprehend a short passage in Arabic. This “learning poverty” crisis undermines students’ long-term academic trajectories and compounds already high rates of youth unemployment. At the same time, there is a growing recognition that host communities and refugee children need the ability and skills to adapt to rapid change, uncertainty, and the lingering effects of conflict. Consequently, holistic education, which calls for teaching students a breadth of skills as well as foundational literacy and numeracy, which is needed more than ever. In response, Jordan’s Ministry of Education (MoE) and the National Centre for Curriculum Development initiated a reformed Arabic curriculum (2021–2022) and a National Literacy Strategy (2023–2028), aiming to improve literacy outcomes while embedding skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and communication.

In this context, the study explored two key research questions. First, in Jordan, to what extent is holistic teaching and learning and a breadth of skills embedded in Jordan’s newly-revised Arabic literacy curriculum? And second, given Jordan’s centralized governance and fragmented professional development systems, can curriculum reform transform classroom practices and outcomes?

To address these questions, the study examined the integration of holistic learning principles into Jordan’s revised Language curriculum and the systemic conditions shaping its implementation. Using two established frameworks of education system transformation – the “4Ps” (Purpose, Pedagogy, Position, Power) and the “3Cs” (Commitment, Capacity, Cohesion) – the research analyzes both the opportunities and the barriers to meaningful reform in a resource-constrained, refugee-hosting context. By combining curriculum analysis with focus groups and interviews, the study sheds light on the promise of holistic education reform while emphasizing the systemic incoherences that currently limit its effectiveness. The research employed a two-phase, qualitative design. In the first phase, a curriculum analysis was conducted from April to August 2024. Arabic curriculum frameworks, textbooks, teacher guides, and assessments for grades 1, 4, and 7 were mapped against the Center for Curriculum Redesign’s Four-Dimensional Competency Framework, focusing on skills (critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration), character (curiosity, resilience, ethics), and meta-learning (metacognition, adaptability). In the second phase, qualitative data was collected from a range of education stakeholders in Jordan from August 2024 to January 2025. Four focus groups with teachers and principals were conducted, along with six semi-structured interviews with Ministry officials and international donors, providing both national and local perspectives. Transcripts were thematically analyzed to identify enablers and barriers to embedding holistic learning.

In terms of the 3Cs framework, the study finds that Commitment is visible at policy and discursive levels but inadequately resourced. Meanwhile, the system’s Capacity for change is weakened by fragmented training, misaligned assessments, and infrastructure shortages. In terms of Cohesion, coordination and action is undermined by systemic incoherence and exclusion of key stakeholders. Through the 4Ps lens, the study highlights that there is a clear Purpose amongst education stakeholders. Interview data, along with the country’s Education Strategic Plan, National Literacy Strategy, and revised Arabic Curriculum, indicates that ambitious, collective goals exist but lack grassroots legitimacy. In terms of Pedagogy, teacher preparation and textbook guidance remain misaligned with holistic aims. Regarding Position, the data suggests that centralized governance constrains local adaptation. Finally, in terms of Power, decision-making is concentrated among elites and donors, sidelining communities.

Overall, three interrelated findings emerged. First, in Jordan, there is a recognition and commitment to holistic learning but it is uneven. At multiple levels, including ministries, NGOs, principals, and classrooms, there is a shared recognition of the importance of broadening education beyond academic knowledge. Teachers reported experimenting with debates, collaborative projects, and creative activities, and NGOs introduced after-school programs promoting social-emotional learning. In addition, the MoE invested in training and professional development programs emphasizing holistic pedagogies. However, this commitment often remains more rhetorical than structural, with limited resources, incentives, or system-wide coherence.

Second, the data highlights that structural capacity constraints limit translation into practice. Teachers, especially in rural and overcrowded schools, face significant obstacles in embedding holistic pedagogies. Training opportunities are fragmented, inconsistent, and not always linked to classroom realities. National assessments emphasize content memorization, pressuring teachers to prioritize coverage of material over skills. Infrastructure gaps, including overcrowded classrooms and inadequate facilities, further restrict interactive pedagogies. NGOs often fill these gaps, but their reach is uneven, raising concerns about equity.

Third, the data shows that the most critical challenge lies in misalignment across reform components. Essentially, systemic incoherence and power imbalances hinder transformation toward more holistic teaching and learning in Arabic. Centralized decision-making leaves teachers, students, and families excluded from defining education priorities, undermining ownership and sustainability. While curriculum frameworks promote creativity, collaboration, and character development, textbooks and assessments remain largely content-driven. Families and students, meanwhile, prioritize exam success, reinforcing rote-based practices.

These gaps reveal broader power asymmetries, where international donors and national officials dominate reform design, while local voices remain marginalized. Together, these findings reinforce that curriculum reform, while necessary, is insufficient to catalyze systemic transformation without broader realignment across pedagogy, assessment, governance, and stakeholder participation. These are key lessons all education stakeholders in Jordan - local and national - need to take into account in order to improve the literacy levels and the breadth of learning opportunities for all students - both Jordanians and refugees. Addressing these challenges will not only strengthen Jordan’s education system but also contribute to a more stable and prosperous future for the country and region.

Authors

• Emilee Rauschenberger, Queen Rania Foundation for Education and Development

• Sa'ed Alzawahreh

• Taline Sabella

• Robert Palmer, Queen Rania Foundation