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Improving Literacy Instruction in Kenya Through Teacher Professional Development and Text Messages Support: A Cluster Randomized Trial

Publication ,  Journal Article
Jukes, MCH; Turner, EL; Dubeck, MM; Halliday, KE; Inyega, HN; Wolf, S; Zuilkowski, SS; Brooker, SJ
Published in: Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness
July 3, 2017

We evaluated a program to improve literacy instruction on the Kenyan coast using training workshops, semiscripted lesson plans, and weekly text-message support for teachers to understand its impact on students' literacy outcomes and on the classroom practices leading to those outcomes. The evaluation ran from the beginning of Grade 1 to the end of Grade 2 in 51 government primary schools chosen at random, with 50 schools acting as controls. The intervention had an impact on classroom practices with effect sizes from 0.57 to 1.15. There was more instruction with written text and more focus on letters and sounds. There was a positive impact on three of four primary measures of children's literacy after two years, with effect sizes up to 0.64, and school dropout reduced from 5.3% to 2.1%. This approach to literacy instruction is sustainable, and affordable and a similar approach has subsequently been adopted nationally in Kenya.

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Published In

Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness

DOI

EISSN

1934-5739

ISSN

1934-5747

Publication Date

July 3, 2017

Volume

10

Issue

3

Start / End Page

449 / 481
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Jukes, M. C. H., Turner, E. L., Dubeck, M. M., Halliday, K. E., Inyega, H. N., Wolf, S., … Brooker, S. J. (2017). Improving Literacy Instruction in Kenya Through Teacher Professional Development and Text Messages Support: A Cluster Randomized Trial. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 10(3), 449–481. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2016.1221487
Jukes, M. C. H., E. L. Turner, M. M. Dubeck, K. E. Halliday, H. N. Inyega, S. Wolf, S. S. Zuilkowski, and S. J. Brooker. “Improving Literacy Instruction in Kenya Through Teacher Professional Development and Text Messages Support: A Cluster Randomized Trial.” Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness 10, no. 3 (July 3, 2017): 449–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2016.1221487.
Jukes MCH, Turner EL, Dubeck MM, Halliday KE, Inyega HN, Wolf S, et al. Improving Literacy Instruction in Kenya Through Teacher Professional Development and Text Messages Support: A Cluster Randomized Trial. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness. 2017 Jul 3;10(3):449–81.
Jukes, M. C. H., et al. “Improving Literacy Instruction in Kenya Through Teacher Professional Development and Text Messages Support: A Cluster Randomized Trial.” Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, vol. 10, no. 3, July 2017, pp. 449–81. Scopus, doi:10.1080/19345747.2016.1221487.
Jukes MCH, Turner EL, Dubeck MM, Halliday KE, Inyega HN, Wolf S, Zuilkowski SS, Brooker SJ. Improving Literacy Instruction in Kenya Through Teacher Professional Development and Text Messages Support: A Cluster Randomized Trial. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness. 2017 Jul 3;10(3):449–481.

Published In

Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness

DOI

EISSN

1934-5739

ISSN

1934-5747

Publication Date

July 3, 2017

Volume

10

Issue

3

Start / End Page

449 / 481