REQUEST FOR RESEARCH PROPOSALS

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR RESEARCH PROPOSALS Research in Gender Responsive Pedagogy Kenya Equity in Education Project (KEEP) Position: Researcher, Gender Responsive Pedagogy Kenya Issue Date: December 11, 2015 Closing Date: January 30, 2015 Contracting Agency: WUSC/EUMC 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Organization World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a leading Canadian non-profit organization in international development, committed to building a more equitable and sustainable world. It works with a unique and powerful network of post-secondary institutions, private-sector partners and volunteers to provide education, employment and empowerment opportunities that improve the lives of millions of disadvantaged youth around the world. WUSC provides education and training to improve livelihoods, balance inequities, integrate vulnerable communities, promote health and foster social and economic development. 1.2 Project Background WUSC in partnership with Windle Trust Kenya (WTK) implements the Kenya equity in education Project (KEEP) with funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) under the Girls Education Challenge (GEC) fund. KEEP runs from March 7, 2013 until March 31, 2017 in Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps, and host communities Turkana West, Fafi, Dadaab and Wajir South Districts. The goal of the KEEP is to improve the life chances of marginalised girls through improved access to quality education. In total, the KEEP will reach up to 25,000 girls as direct beneficiaries and 35,000 boys as indirect beneficiaries. It works towards three interrelated and complementary outputs (below) that together provide an integrated response to improve girls attendance, retention and achievement in school. The activities and outputs have been planned in coordination with the Kenya Education Strategy, the UNHCR Global Education Request for Proposals ToR - Gender Responsive Pedagogy Research 1 of 9

2 Strategy as well as the specific UNHCR Education Strategies for Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps. The three specific output areas are: 1. Improving girl-friendly school environments 2. Targeted support for female learners 3. Mobilizing parent and community support for girls education 1.1 Background and Rationale of Research The Kenya Equity in Education Project (KEEP), now in its 3rd year of a 4 year project life cycle has been implementing a Gender Responsive Pedagogy (GRP) training program since January 2014 as part of its programming to improve teacher practice in both the Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camp and host community schools. This program targets teachers in 89 KEEPsupported schools through a five day residential training course. To date the project has trained approximately 300 teachers. Girls in both refugee and host community schools are highly marginalized and their education outcomes are lower than boys in the same schools/communities. The majority of refugee teachers are untrained, have little professional support and many (especially refugee teachers) do not have access to the Kenyan syllabus. Classrooms are overcrowded with some reaching 100:1 in the lower grade levels, and there is a scarcity of teaching and learning materials/resources. Host community schools are often poorer than refugee schools and it is not uncommon to see host community children attending refugee schools. The Ministry of Education in Kenya has a comprehensive gender policy, however, teacher training colleges do not yet cover gender in the curriculum; and, exposure to this and to childcentered learning pedagogy is limited (UNESCO, 2006). Gender Responsive Pedagogy 1 is an approach that is gaining credence as a methodology to reach out to marginalized students and shows promise to improve the overall quality of teaching for all learners and especially girls. The quality of the teaching and learning processes in the classroom plays a big role in determining how well girls and boys participate in education, and whether they stay in school and do well in their studies (FAWE, 2011). In 2014, the GEC commissioned a literature review of girls education studies entitled Interventions to enhance girls education and gender equality: rigorous review of literature. Of specific relevance to the KEEP is the finding that interventions that seek to improve access and quality of education for girls through improved training of teachers to higher levels of subject area expertise, with specific attention to gender equality, and fostering of collaborative learning styles is important (Unterhaler, E., North, A. et al, 2013). The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) has also conducted extensive research in this area. Their research concludes that gender responsive pedagogies have a positive impact on girls learning in sub-saharan Africa and that a need exists to change current teaching 1 Gender Responsive Pedagogy is a strategy for removing some of the barriers to learning that girls and boys encounter. It provides a learning environment which enables girls and boys to achieve to best of their individual potential. Request for Proposals ToR - Gender Responsive Pedagogy Research 2 of 9

3 practice. They conclude that teaching quality has a significant impact on academic access, retention and performance, yet many teachers in sub-saharan Africa, conditioned by maledominated values in their communities, employ teaching methods that do not provide equal opportunity to participation for girls and boys. Neither do these methods take into account the individual needs of learners, especially girls (FAWE, 2011). Both of these sources point to an existing evidence base in promising practices that support gender responsive pedagogy as an effective approach to improving learning outcomes for all learners, and girls in particular. However, the regional and country specific research base is limited and gaps exist. There is a lack of evidence to support these emerging results. As such, WUSC would like to commission a research study which will contribute rigorous evidence to the practice of Gender Responsive Pedagogy based on its experience in implementing the Kenya Equity in Education Project. KEEP implements GRP as a quality of education intervention. The GRP program delivers a hands-on, practical training for refugee and host community (Kenyan) teachers over 5 days in a residential setting. A training handbook consisting of 5 distinct modules has been developed. Once a teacher has returned to his/her school/classroom, follow up visits are conducted to provide support to teachers and to assess the degree to which GRP is being applied in the classroom. Observation and interviews tools have been developed for this purpose and are used to provide constructive feedback to teachers and to measure application of training content in five performance areas of trained teachers. The latter has resulted in a better understanding of what types of challenges teachers face in applying the new knowledge and practice, and to some extent the degree of practice they have been able to implement. While we have seen good results of GRP being applied in both knowledge and practice in the classroom in some areas, there is much room for improved understanding of what is working, the key success factors and contextual variables, and what has been less promising. Finally, while tools for the assessment and observation of GRP in the classroom as well as for feedback from teachers have been developed, they have not been applied as consistently or extensively across the program. WUSC is therefore also interested to gain a deeper understanding of the data that is being generated and best practices toward assessment, observation and feedback approaches. 4. Purpose of Research It is expected that the research will contribute to an improved understanding and expanded knowledge base of gender responsive pedagogy and how GRP can contribute to improved learning outcomes for girls. Equally it aims to provide information that will form the basis for future programme planning and contribution to a growing body of knowledge in GRP as a methodology for improving learning for girls in highly marginalized settings. Request for Proposals ToR - Gender Responsive Pedagogy Research 3 of 9

4 4.1 Research Objectives The specific research objectives which WUSC aims to explore through this research are: 1. To understand how effective GRP training implemented by WUSC and its partners has been in improving the application of GRP approaches in the classroom in both host and refugee community schools. 2. To explore the factors and conditions that most affect the application and practice of GRP in the classroom and school environment, particularly cultural, contextual and gender factors; 3. To assess the contribution of GRP toward improved student participation and improved learning and teacher/student interactions in the classroom in host and refugee contexts, especially for girls. 4.2 Proposed Research Questions The Consultant will execute a research study that substantively addresses the following Research Questions. Consultants however are equally invited to propose or refine research questions as part of their application package and which contribute to the research objectives outlined above. 1. What new knowledge and practices have teachers trained in GRP been able to apply in the classroom and to what extent? 2. How effective has the GRP approach been in improving sustainable teaching practice of trained teachers in the classroom? 3. How has student participation and teacher interaction with female and male students changed after teachers have implemented GRP in the classroom? 4. What differences are there in the application of GRP in the classroom between host and refugee teachers? 5. What has the KEEP model and training contributed to our understanding of GRP as an approach for improving the learning outcomes of marginalized girls in similar contexts? 6. What are the best practices and methodologies to measure and assess the effective application of GRP in the classroom in this context? 4.3 Audience and Use of Findings The consumers of the research findings include: Development practitioners, researchers, donors/funders; Teachers, educators, education specialists, administrators, Kenyan national and district education officers, Ministry of Education, Science and technology staff and others concerned with improving learning outcomes for girls (and boys); and, Participants, school staff and community members involved in the research. It may also be informative to link the findings of this research to the KEEP mid-line evaluation results. Request for Proposals ToR - Gender Responsive Pedagogy Research 4 of 9

5 5. SCOPE OF WORK 5.1 Implementation Period It is expected that the research will be carried out between February 2016, starting with the inception meeting and development of inception report and end sometime by September 2016 with the production of the final report. 5.2 Budget The total budget available for this assignment is CAD 120, 000, which includes all costs related to this assignment, including consultant fees, international and in-country travel, enumerator compensation and other expenses related to data collection, data entry and data cleaning. 5.3 Activities and Deliverables The contracted researcher or research institute will be required to carry out and deliver the following: i. Inception meeting: the selected researcher(s) will participate in an inception meeting with relevant people at WUSC to review expectations and deliverables as well as discuss modes of working. It is expected that there will be regular communication between the researcher(s) and WUSC through the duration of the research process. ii. Inception Report, including a detailed research work plan, research questions, proposed methodology, draft key research instruments/tools, potential limitations in methodology, proposed report outline, including analysis framework and dummy output/analysis tables, and cost elements of the research which must be submitted within 4 (four) weeks of signing of a formal contract with WUSC. Note that research protocol and research instruments will need to obtain research ethics approval from the necessary body in Kenya as well as by WUSC prior to commencing any field work. Ethical considerations, potential ethical risks, process and plan for ethical approval must be equally included in the inception report. The inception report will be reviewed and approved by the research working group prior to commencing any field work. Upon award of the contract, a detailed timeline and reporting schedule will be determined between the contractor and client. iii. iv. Literature Review: the researcher(s) will undertake a comprehensive review of available data, literature and evidence on the subject of gender responsive pedagogy, specifically and in Kenya and East African region. The literature review should be integrated, where appropriate within the report to support and complement findings. Data Collection: The researcher(s) is required to propose an innovative and gender sensitive methodology, reflecting a mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches to gather secondary and primary data from the community and other identified resources. The researcher(s) is expected to have or arrange for all the logistical means required to carry out the study however close coordination with project field staff is required at all times while the team is in the project operational areas. v. Data Analysis: The researcher(s) will produce an analysis of data collected, identifying incidence, variables, and themes and the social, cultural, economic, institutional factors Request for Proposals ToR - Gender Responsive Pedagogy Research 5 of 9

6 affecting these. To the fullest extent possible the researcher(s) will triangulate findings with other learnings and approaches in the sector, including literature review findings vi. vii. viii. ix. Draft Research Report: to be submitted at an agreed upon time by WUSC and the researcher(s). The draft report should include all elements as outlined in Section 5.4 below. Presentation of Findings: The findings from the research must be presented to WUSC and related stakeholders in English during a presentation workshop. This workshop should be planned and budgeted for in the inception report and financial proposal. Peer Review: the draft research report will be subject to both an internal and external peer review. The internal review will be done by the WUSC Research Working Group. The researchers must be prepared to present their work to an audience of external peer reviewers with relevant qualifications in education, development and teacher practice. WUSC will facilitate the selection of peer reviewers in consultation with the researchers. Final Report to be submitted within 15 days of receipt of comments and inputs on draft report, including recommendations from peer reviewers. Final data collection tools, informed consent and de-identified data must also be annexed to the final report. 5.4 Proposed Report Structure The final report will include detailed results from data analysis and key recommendations to inform the client to inform program design and best practice. The following chapters are recommended: Executive Summary Background Research Objectives and Questions Methods Limitations Demographic Information of respondents (if relevant) Main Results/Findings Conclusions and Recommendations References (Harvard style or equivalent) Annexes Relevant appendices including informed consent, transcripts, ethical approval, deidentified data, etc. The report is to be written in high quality English to enable global distribution (cost of copy editor to be included in contractor s budget, if relevant). 6. Ethical Considerations and Risks Working with people as the object of study requires the highest level of ethics in research. The target groups of study are teachers and students in schools supported through KEEP in the Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps and the surrounding host communities in northern Kenya. The general population is characterized by extreme poverty and is considered to be highly marginalized. This research requires working with minors, refugees and vulnerable people. This Request for Proposals ToR - Gender Responsive Pedagogy Research 6 of 9

7 research will equally require working with adults, teachers, illiterate adults, adults and children and youth (ages 10+) in refugee and host communities, therefore ethics meeting or exceeding the standards for working with these populations is required. The Framework for Research Ethics (FRE), produced by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), provides the basic standards for UK-funded social science research. These standards should be consulted ( However, research institutions are expected to align with internal ethical standards, where relevant, as well as obtain all necessary ethical approvals as per the National Council for Science and Technology (NACOSTI) standards for research. 7. APPLICATION PROCESS WUSC invites interested research institutions, research teams and consortiums to submit an application package including the technical proposal and financial Proposal no later than 16:00 p.m. EST on January 30, Proposals should be concisely presented and include the following information: 1) Technical Component: Capacity and Qualifications of Research Institute/Firm: A brief description of your institution/firm/consortium and an outline of recent experience of similar consultancies. Information that will facilitate the evaluation of your firm s substantive reliability and financial and managerial capacity to provide the services required should also be provided. Personnel An organogram illustrating the reporting lines, together with a description of the organization of the team structure should support your proposal. The full curriculum vitae of each member of the team for all stages should be included. Proposed Methodology: Describe in detail the proposed approach and methodology, including a work plan, an indicative research plan. While a specific methodology is not prescribed, the proposal evaluation criterial will place significant value on creative, yet practical research methods that are best suited to the context where research is being conducted. o Methods should be described in detail on how information from other relevant research will be obtained and used, how data will be collected in-country, including number of personnel to be utilized and regional information. o The Research Plan should include the approach to addressing ethical considerations in implementation of research activities. o The proposal should specify the number of person-days to be used at each stage of the Research, with estimates of time expected to spend for each activity and deliverable o Ethical considerations and potential risks to research subjects and participants. The plan for ethical approval should equally be noted and integrated into the work plan timelines. Proposed Work Plan: a proposed work plan outlining the process and expected time for implementation and completion of all major activities/deliverables Request for Proposals ToR - Gender Responsive Pedagogy Research 7 of 9

8 2) Financial Component: A clear financial proposal detailing consultant(s) itemized fees, in-country costs, and administrative costs Submissions are to be sent via only to Ellyn Floyd at efloyd@wusc.ca, no later than the specified date and time indicated. Please reference Research, Gender Responsive Pedagogy in the subject line. 8. EVALUATION CRITERIA The evaluation of proposals will be conducted by an evaluation committee established by WUSC and based on a total of 100 points for both the technical and financial components of the application. The technical component will be evaluated based on a maximum of 80 points, using the following criteria: Experience of the firm/institution in conducting education research in Kenya and with specified target populations (15 points) Qualifications, competencies and research experience of all proposed team members (20 points) Methodology in responding to the specific objectives and activities outlined in the detailed research plan (45 points) Technical relevance and soundness of research methodology Understanding of the context, cultural appropriateness, analytical framework Appropriateness of level of effort and research plan A partnership approach between an international and local research firm/institution is encouraged The financial component will be evaluated based on a maximum of 20 points and should not exceed a total of CAD $120,000 for both professional and reimbursable costs. The proposed budget will only be evaluated if the technical component of the proposal achieves a minimum of 65 points. Proposals failing to meet this minimum threshold will not be eligible for further consideration. 9. RESEARCHER QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES Applicants must demonstrate the qualifications and competencies required in the combination of personnel proposed for the assignment. Ideally, WUSC seeks a research firm or academic institution with a strong track record of similar mandates in the sub-saharan Africa region, particular Kenya, and especially with girls. Joint applications between international research institutions and regional or country based research institutions are especially welcomed. Request for Proposals ToR - Gender Responsive Pedagogy Research 8 of 9

9 The firm must demonstrate their knowledge and experience in Kenya working in Arid and Semi- Arid Lands (ASALs) and with ethnically diverse, illiterate and disadvantaged populations i.e. refugees. The selected research team will need to demonstrate their experience both in quantitative and qualitative research techniques, particularly as applied to vulnerable and excluded populations. A Team Leader/Principal Investigator must be designated for the duration of the assignment. The research team composition and qualifications should include at a minimum: 1 - Principal investigator and research project coordinator who will be the primary person responsible for the technical work and will manage the design and implementation process. The principal investigator must hold a PhD in a related field and have published at least one academic article. 2 - Statistician with a track record on quantitative surveys and analysis and proficient in multivariate analysis and in manipulating large data sets. Knowledge of English language is essential. 3 - Social scientist with a track record in using qualitative methods and data analysis and knowledge of English language. 4 National or partner research institute with relevant facilitation skills and experience and with relevant language competencies to carry out data collection in target areas Request for Proposals ToR - Gender Responsive Pedagogy Research 9 of 9