Teaching and Learning in Fragile Context (TLFC) Research Initiative

CODE, under the Teaching Learning in Fragile Context (TLFC) program, invites Research Proposals that addresses the challenges of education in refugee and displacement contexts.  The research component of the TLFC project will support applied and transferable research on quality teaching and culturally relevant learning materials in specific crisis affected and fragile sub-Saharan African countries. The project will also facilitate access and use of this evidence by African education sector actors and practitioners to improve sustainable literacy and learning outcomes for children, especially for girls, in African refugee and IDP contexts.

Problem Statement: The African education sector actors lack access to situated evidence about how quality teaching and culturally relevant reading materials can improve marginalized children’s sustainable literacy and learning outcomes in refugee and displacement contexts in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mission Statement: CODE’s research program supports situated and transferable research on quality teaching and culturally relevant reading materials to facilitate access and use by African education actors to improve marginalized children’s sustainable literacy and learning outcomes in refugee and displacement context in sub-Saharan Africa.

Teaching and Learning in Fragile Context (TLFC) program is primarily interested in research projects that relate to one or more of the following general themes:

• Foundational Literacy:
  • Innovative ideas and primary research into advancing literacy practices within refugee and internally displaced populations and/or fragile and conflict affected contexts.
  • Impact of language and mother tongue on literacy learning in displacement contexts
  • Strategies for sustainable psychosocial educational support for children and teachers within refugee settlements and fragile contexts.
• Gender and Inclusion:
  • The impact of gender or other vulnerabilities on inclusion and equity in primary education and teaching in these same contexts.
  • Factors and/or interventions that contribute to reducing barriers to quality education for children, especially girls; in fragile, conflict, refugee and crisis situations; and/or in relation to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
• TLMs and Locally Relevant Reading Materials:
  • The role of quality teaching and culturally relevant reading materials on literacy and particularly early grade reading in refugee and IDP contexts.
  • Relationship between the school, the home, and the community and the role this plays in strengthening culturally relevant teaching and learning materials.
  • Possible role of digital teaching and learning and the use of appropriate ICT to improve learning outcomes in refugee and IDP contexts
• Teaching Quality and Accreditation:
  • Role of pre-service teacher education and in-service professional development in the qualifications and capacities of teachers in refugee and IDP contexts.
  • Impact of host country educational policies and teacher accreditation on refugee teachers

In this first call, we invite research proposals into any of these themes and their intersection with three main areas of inquiry: (1) Access to Education, (2) Quality Education, and (3) Education Policy. Successful proposals should clearly outline their contribution to evidence-based gender equality, equity, and inclusion. Research should also demonstrate a possible contribution to improved educational resources, policy and practice enhancement, and impact measurement within refugee and fragile contexts.

The proposed research is required to be pragmatic in terms of its scope, timeline, and budget and should emphasize enhancing access to quality education for children within these contexts while integrating local ways of knowing and indigenous methodologies.

Under this call, CODE will offer up to ten (10) research grants of a maximum of $20,000 Canadian Dollars (CAD) each. We invite researchers, academics and educators who are residents in sub-Saharan African countries to submit proposals by November 24, 2023.

Application Deadline: November 24, 2023

This application is open to eligible researchers based in all sub-Saharan African countries.  Researchers with lived experience in refugee contexts are encouraged to apply.  The proposed research must focus on refugee and displacement contexts in Sub-Saharan African.  For example, there are 19 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with more than 100,000 total Refugees and IDPs, this includes: Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Uganda, Cameroon, Mozambique, Chad, Niger, Kenya, Central African Republic, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Rwanda, Mauritania.

For further inquiries about the Call for Proposals, send an email to TLFC@code.ngo