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EARLY YEARS CARE AND EDUCATION- SOUTH ASIAN REGION AN AGENDA FOR RESEARCH. T.S. Saraswathi Formerly with The M.S.University of Baroda. OUTLINE. Why invest in good Research? Proposed Agenda for Research – Multi-pronged. At the Macro Level At the Mid Level At the Micro Level
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EARLY YEARS CARE AND EDUCATION- SOUTH ASIAN REGIONAN AGENDA FOR RESEARCH T.S. Saraswathi Formerly with The M.S.University of Baroda
OUTLINE • Why invest in good Research? • Proposed Agenda for Research – Multi-pronged. • At the Macro Level • At the Mid Level • At the Micro Level • Where do we go from here?
WHY INVEST IN GOOD RESEARCH ? • To build a culturally relevant data base. • Provide descriptions of good practices that promote child well being and positive development. • Inform and build “evidence based” policy formulation. (From the perspectives of the child and family.) • Evaluate implementation of interventions to develop coordinating mechanisms (health, nutrition, education, and social protection) • Explain why, how, and where interventions work. • Provide empirical evidence for advocacy.
Macro-level • Comprehensive coverage. Quantitative mapping • Meta-analyses for policy research. • Inter - sectoral coordination (health, nutrition, education, social care/protection) • Mid-level • Large scale studies/ Representative samples • Multi-centric studies/ purposive samples. • Development of standardized tools. • Hypotheses generation • Micro-level • In-depth studies/small samples • Varied research designs from exploratory to experimental • Hypotheses testing. • Building a landscape of culture sensitive knowledge A MULTI-PRONGED AGENDA - RESEARCH IN CARE AND EDUCATION DURING EARLY YEARS
MACRO-LEVEL SURVEYS (THE BIG PICTURE) • Builds a quantitative landscape of what facilities exist, where they are situated and whom they serve. • Research Questions that can be answered • What is the extent of coverage? • Which are the regions that need added input? • Who are the children who get excluded from the program? (by gender, caste, socio-economic factors). (Example NCERT survey (2002/2005) of elementary education in India.) • Funding source: Central Government/Concerned Ministry
Mid-level- large scale studies A. Evaluative studies • Representative sample/ Quantitative/Qualitative (Example: Pratham /ASER, Educational Initiatives/ AZPF) B. Multi-centric studies • Descriptive, co- relational, hypotheses generating. Quantitative and Qualitative. (Example: CECED Multi-centric study) …..cont
MID-LEVEL- LARGE SCALE STUDIES..2 Research Questions: • What works: Efficacy of good practices? • Under what conditions do good practices prevail? • Who are the beneficiaries; who gets excluded? • What can be done to promote sustain and spread good practices? • What lessons can we learn from survey of existing research lit.? • Funding sources: International organizations like UNESCO, UNICEF, WB ,BVLR ,Corporate Trusts, Private Foundations.
MICRO-LEVEL A. Hypotheses testing small sample studies. • Ethnographic and in depth case studies. • Social profiles of exclusion. • Teacher performance, training, support. • Variations in private schools quality, accountability. B. Longitudinal studies. • Hypotheses testing on small sample. • Evaluative follow up from pre-school to elementary years.
MICRO-LEVEL…2 • Research questions related to: • Ecology of child development and parenting. • Children's learning and performance. • Teacher availability, qualifications, performance, motivation. • Schools/Teachers quality and accountability • Funding sources: • Public and Private funding agencies/organizations • Fellowships …..cont
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? • Reiterate the significance of early years and the need for sound empirical data. • Demand macro-level information on public and private programs. • Develop culturally relevant understanding and appropriate strategies for care and pedagogy. • Initiate collaborative research across the region and within countries especially for mid level large scale studies. …cont
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE… 2 • Encourage funders to support coordinated series of micro-level studies in thrust areas of EYCE. • Recommend the inclusion of EYCE as thrust areas by national funding bodies. • Set up a regional program of regular training workshops to strengthen research competence and research output.