University of Sussex
Browse

The Speed School pedagogy and how it unlocks the creative and learning potential of disadvantaged children in Ethiopia

Download (149.08 kB)
Version 2 2023-06-12, 09:37
Version 1 2023-06-09, 22:21
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 09:37 authored by Kwame Akyeampong, Jo WestbrookJo Westbrook, John Pryor
Several research studies have shown that many disadvantaged children leave school or never attend for different reasons, the key ones being poverty, child labor, distance to schools, over-age attendance, nomadic or pastoralist life styles, gender – where girls’ poor attendance or access is linked to cultural/religious factors or gender-insensitive school environments – ill health and disability – leading to inconsistent attendance – and loss of one or both parents, leaving children without household support for their education (Hunt, 2008; Akyeampong et al., 2007). However, schools can also intentionally or unintentionally ‘push’ disadvantaged children out through unresponsive pedagogy that excludes them from much of the learning process. Many such children are usually assumed to be the least educable, from poor and often illiterate families and having come late to schooling or at least had their education disrupted. Their disadvantaged backgrounds often compromise their readiness to learn. Unlike traditional pedagogical practices in many African classrooms, which are characterized by strong teacher-centered teaching, a pedagogy developed in an accelerated learning program (ALP) known as the ‘Speed School’ program in Ethiopia, demonstrates potential to give such children more control over how they learn. This paper discusses how the pedagogy promotes strong student engagement in the learning process, which unlocks the learning and creative potential of former school dropouts. The paper argues that the pedagogy achieves this goal because it utilizes principles of culturally responsive social, creative and emotional learning to promote student agency in learning.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

NISSEM Global Briefs

Publisher

NISSEM

Volume

2

Page range

34-53

Department affiliated with

  • Education Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2020-12-03

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2021-01-11

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2020-12-03

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Licence

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC