Research Initiatives

CODE’s Context Matters research initiative is an ongoing program of support for an African research agenda in language and literacy. We award grants annually.

Context Matters Research Grants

CODE, through its Context Matters program funds research initiated, designed, and undertaken by African researchers. To date, research on literacy learning has largely been carried out in high-income countries and contexts and generalized to low-income countries and contexts. CODE established Context Matters to support African researchers as they take the lead in evidence-based, exploratory studies. The intent is to support research which is clearly situated in local contexts and recognizes the multifaceted and complex relationships between the local and global in education.

To begin the conversation, CODE commissioned two landscape literature reviews and one policy analysis from Canadian Faculties of Education (University of British Columbia and McGill University). These papers were presented at the CODE Research Symposium that took place as part of the Pan-African Literacy for All Conference in Abuja, Nigeria (August 28-30, 2017).

In 2021, CODE partnered with the International Literacy Association (ILA) and its global network of scholars, researchers, and literacy educators to bring greater support and expertise to the Context Matters Research Grant program. ILA has members on the Context Matters International Advisory Committee, and taps into their grassroots network of educators from across Africa to disseminate news of the grants and promote access to the completed research.

Read Research Papers

2022 Call for Proposals

2021 Grant Research Papers

Dr. Dorothy Atuhura, PhD
Kyambogo University, Uganda
Research Project:
Advancing Critical Literacy Practices of Secondary School Teachers in Uganda

Dr. George Andima
Kisii University, Kenya
Research Project:
Unearthing the Sexual and Reproductive Health Literacy Crisis for Adolescents in Rural Primary Schools in Kisii Central Sub-County, Kenya

Dr. Dawit A. Getahun
Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
Research Project:
Science Teachers’ Understanding and Use of ‘Learning Context’ in Ethiopian Secondary Schools

Prof. Katrina Korb
University of Jos, Nigeria
Research project:
Literacy Cooperatives: Sharing Culturally-Relevant Literacy Materials and Best Practices amongst Early Childhood Educators in Nigeria

2020 Grant Award Recipients

Dr. John Mary Vianney Mitana
Luigi Giussani Institute of Higher Education, Kampala, Uganda
Research project:
Understanding and Supporting adolescent girls’ social and emotional wellbeing: Case of Mpumudde Seed School in Uganda

Dr. Rebecca Nambi
School of Education, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
Research project:
Adolescents’ literacy practices in and out of school in Uganda

Dr. Purity Nthiga, PhD.
Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
Research project:
Leveraging coaching to improve sexual health literacy among teachers in informal urban settlements in Nairobi, Kenya

Dr. Lydia Namatende-Sakwa
Faculty of Education, Kyambogo University, Uganda
Research project:
Equipping Teachers to Champion Gender Equity in Uganda

2019 Grant Award Recipients

Dr. Justus Bwonderi Aungo
Elimu Ya Kenya School – Altenburgerland, Mombasa, Kenya
Research project:
Voice for Space: Girl Empowerment Through Language Literacy and Use in Debating

Dr. Daniel Fussy
Mkwawa University College of Education, Iringa, Tanzania
Research project:
Investigating Girls’ Literacy Practices In and Out of School in Rural Tanzania
Abstract

Professor Elinami Swai, PhD.
Open University of Tanzania
Research project:
Empowering Adolescent Girls Through Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Programme in Shinyanga, Tanzania

Dr. Alberta Odofourkor Akrong
Mountcrest University College, Accra, Ghana
Research project:
Literacies for Abilities: Interrogating Pedagogy Empowerment Nexus Framework in School-Community Girls Clubs in Ghana

2018 Grant Research Papers

Associate Professor Hellen Inyega – University of Nairobi, Kenya
Professor Justus Inyega – University of Nairobi, Kenya
Kwamboka Oyaro – Multimedia University, Kenya
Research project:
Leveraging ICTs to Improve Sexual Health Literacies and Practices of University Students in Kenya

Professor Colomba Muriungi – Chuka University, Kenya
Dr. Andima George – Kisii University, Kenya
Research project:
A Gender Community Outreach for Girls Living in Vulnerable Contexts: Experiences from School Literacy Clubs in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya

Professor Mwangi Ndirangu
Egerton University, Kenya
Research project:
Integrated Girls Literacy Empowerment Program (IGLEP)

Yewulsew Mehari
Debre Markos University, Ethiopia
Research project:
Gender Representation in Ethiopian English as a Foreign Language Materials: Perceptions and Perceived Effects