Thabiso NyabanyabaNational University of Lesotho

Paper presented at the 1st UNISA international ODL Conference5-7 September 2012

Project◦ SOFIE (Strengthening open and flexible learning to

support educational access in contexts of high prevalence rates in SADC countries)

Aims ◦ improving retention and ◦ increasing access to learning

Focus group◦ OVCs◦ Children affected by HIV and AIDS

Using open and flexible learning strategies

Many children experience absenteeism before dropout, due to◦ Push out factors (in-school)

Overcrowding in schools Teacher lack PSS and ability to cope with large classes Lack of infrastructure Curricular irrelevance

◦ Pull out factors (out-of-school) Poverty Early marriage Impact of HIV and AIDS

ODFL strategies have potential to support ‘at-risk’ students (Pridmore, 2006)◦ Offering opportunities for re-entry◦ Improving teacher understanding and empathy towards

‘at-risk’

To what extent can barriers to access and attainment due to HIV and AIDS be addressed using ODFL as a complement to conventional schooling?

DfID/Economic and Social Science Research funded◦ Institute of Education, London◦ Centre for Educational Research and Training, Malawi◦ Institute of Education, Lesotho◦ South African Institute of Distance Education

Followed a mixed method approach in distinct phases◦ Phase 1: Situational analysis – desk studies of policy,

practices and factors influencing educational access◦ Phase 2: Multi-site, formative fieldwork of factors

influencing educational access◦ Phase3: Development, trial and evaluation school-based

intervention, incorporating ODFL

Pretest-Posttest Control Group design 20/20 Schools randomly assigned to either of two groups

(matching). Both groups were administered questionnaires and test

papers (Maths and English) ◦ at the baseline (November 2008) and ◦ following implementation (November 2009), but◦ only one group received the intervention package and training

Additional qualitative data collected at various stages◦ Mid-term monitoring visit in August 2009◦ Concurrent with post-intervention visits (November 2009)◦ District-level evaluation workshops held in January 2010.

School-in-a-box: Club leader manual Self -Study guides (English &

Mathematics) Form B Textbooks (English &

Mathematics) Dictionary English readers Supplementary readers on child

rights, child labour and gender violence.

HIV&AIDS board game ‘Choices & Decisions’

Writing materials Wind-up Radio School-in-a-bag: School bag (rucksack) Mathematical Instrument set 2 Notebooks, a pen and a pencil

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Intervention Control

Sample

female

Male

Sampled students' status

53%

3%21%

6%15% 2%

Non-orphans

Single parents

Paternal orphans

Maternal orphans

Double orphans

Abondoned

No data

The attendance and progression rate for boys is worse than girls in general, especially in rural areas. ◦ Related to boys being called upon to look after animals. ◦ Initiation

However, girls experience more disruptions as they progress◦ a result of girls being called on to look after sick members

of families and siblings, ◦ early marriage to escape the burden of poverty at home.

Disruptions also associated with the perceived low quality of education

Results ◦ Inequitable access◦ Poor efficiency◦ Low quality◦ Inadequate output/completion

    Control schools Intervention schools

File number NMean

Rank NMean

Rank

SCR:/English score Baseline 1841 1667.63 1819 1708.43

End-of-intervention 1629 1812.21 1578 1688.13

Total 3470 3397

SCR:/Maths score Baseline 1842 1867.56 1818 1680.78

End-of-intervention 1596 1548.62 1559 1698.59

Total 3438 3377

P:/Absenteeism Baseline 1075 1226.67 1205 1332.71

End-of-intervention 1371 1221.01 1439 1313.95

Total 2446 2644

Slight decline in the scores for English, Slight increase in the mathematics scores Slight decline in the rate of absenteeism

None statistically significant Difference in maths performance was

statistically significant

ID:/Student status NMean

RankSum of

Ranks

S:/repeated Form A in 2008

club member 224 149.5 33488

non-club member 74 149.5 11063

Total 298

S:/Absenteeism club member 224 151.33 33899

non-club member 74 143.95 10652

Total 298

SCR:/English score club member 220 144.86 31869.5

non-club member 73 153.45 11201.5

Total 293

SCR:/Maths score club member 216 151.69 32764

non-club member 73 125.22 9141

Total 289

Club-members did significantly better than similar students in maths

Serious inequalities and obstacles remain Conclusion about intervention

◦ Had no impact to negative impact on English◦ No impact on attendance could be found (inadequate

intervention)◦ Reduced dropout rates marginally◦ Had a significant impact on maths performance◦ Schools became better places for learning for OVCs

Reported impact on teacher empathy towards OVCs due to PSS training

◦ Better societal understanding on situation of OVCs

Need for increased monitoring of attendance◦ Particularly for OVCs at secondary schooling

Lack of understanding and monitoring of childhood and their issues Need for increased PSS support for OVCs

◦ Points to the impact of HIV and vulnerability Child-headed and grandparents households

Need to work through teacher formations in intervention◦ Successful link with Maths teachers’ association resulted in

cooperation Current and emerging socio-economic challenges call for

more research and development of ODFL to complement conventional approaches

Full papers available on: http://sofie.ioe.ac.uk/publications.html

licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License