Other Learning Initiatives
Overview
Our team works with governments and key players in the international arena on cost-effective policies and programs targeting improved child development in low-income and conflict-affected countries and contexts. At the same time, we engage scholars from the contexts where we work to lead research relevant to advances in child development. All of this is supported by additional measurement and methods initiatives that improve our ability to account for the multi-level nature of the systems we study and the contextual factors and processes at play in classrooms, communities, and families.
Select List of Projects
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The Education Quality & Learning for All (EQUAL) network, funded by the Ford Foundation and the Catalyst Foundation for Universal Learning, provided seed grants, mentorship and regional and global networking in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East / North Africa regions to advance research-practice and research-policy partnerships to advance SDG 4: "Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning" through rigorous measurement and action.
In partnership with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and various international organizations, NYU-TIES adopted multi-level inclusive mutual capacity building as a central strategy. 2-year seed grants were provided to 27 grantees from 13 countries across sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Senior advisory groups from each region provided senior mentorship from the initial phases of proposal review, through implementation of the research grants, all the way through dissemination of the resulting research to community, NGO and government partners. Each grantee also worked with a mentor in country that they selected, and mentored a more junior masters-level scholar themselves. Many grantees have gone on to leadership positions and acquired additional funding for their next phases of research.
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This project targets Ghana's kindergarten education challenges by addressing untrained teachers and parental misconceptions. Focusing on the supply side, we aim to enhance teacher training and content knowledge aligning with the Ministry of Education's priorities. Simultaneously, we address parental perceptions, emphasizing age-appropriate teaching techniques by developing, testing, and scaling up interventions.The Quality Preschool for Ghana (QP4G) project, led by J. Lawrence Aber, seeks to tackle Ghana's kindergarten education challenges by addressing both untrained teachers and parental misconceptions. With a focus on the supply side, the project aimed to enhance teacher training and content knowledge, aligning with the Ministry of Education's priorities and the 2004KG curriculum. Simultaneously, QP4G addresses parental perceptions by emphasizing age-appropriate teaching techniques and increasing awareness of developmentally appropriate early education. Through rigorous research and evaluation, impacts on teacher well-being, classroom quality, and children's readiness are assessed over a school year. This holistic approach aimed to positively impact Ghana's young learners and their educational journey, contributing to the enhancement of KG education across the Greater Accra Region and beyond.
