Learning equity requires more than equality: Learning goals and achievement gaps between the rich and the poor in five developing countries⋆

Akmal, Maryam; Pritchett, Lant

doi:10.1016/j.ijedudev.2021.102350

Cited by 22 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…In these countries, even the high performing, advantaged, socioeconomically elite children typically perform significantly below the PISA Level 2 standard. Akmal and Pritchett (2021), using ASER and Uwezo learning data v , similarly find that, while closing schooling and learning gaps between higher and lower SES children would improve outcomes for poorer students, large portions would remain in "early" education poverty lacking foundational literacy and numeracy by around age 10. Kaffenberger and Pritchett (2020) conduct similar analysis by gender, finding that women benefit only modestly from equalization with men.…”

Section: Ivb) Gains From Eliminating Differences By Indicators (Sex R...mentioning

confidence: 94%

Towards a Right to Learn: Concepts and Measurement of Global Education Poverty

Kaffenberger¹,

Pritchett²,

Viarengo³

2021

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The idea that children have a “right to education” has been widely accepted since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 (United Nations, 1948) and periodically reinforced since. The “right to education” has always, explicitly or implicitly, encompassed a “right to learn.” Measures of schooling alone, such as enrollment or grade attainment, without reference to skills, capabilities, and competencies acquired, are inadequate for defining education or education poverty. Because of education’s cumulative and dynamic nature, education poverty needs an “early” standard (e.g., Grade 3 or 4 or age 8 or 10) and a “late” standard (e.g., Grade 10 or 12 or ages 15 and older). Further, as with all international poverty definitions, there needs to be a low, extreme standard, which is found almost exclusively in low- and middle-income countries and can inform prioritization and action, and a higher “global” standard, against which even some children in high income countries would be considered education poor but which is considered a reasonable aspiration for all children. As assessed against any proposed standard, we show there is a massive learning crisis: students spend many years in school and yet do not reach an early standard of mastery of foundational skills nor do they reach any reasonable global minimum standard by the time they emerge from school. The overwhelming obstacle to addressing education poverty today is not enrollment/grade attainment nor inequality in learning achievement, but the fact that the typical learning profile is just too shallow for children to reach minimum standards.

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Section: Ivb) Gains From Eliminating Differences By Indicators (Sex R...mentioning

confidence: 94%

Towards a Right to Learn: Concepts and Measurement of Global Education Poverty

Kaffenberger¹,

Pritchett²,

Viarengo³

2021

Self Cite

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“…Crawfurd (this issue) uses a household survey which assesses children’s learning levels, enabling inclusion of children who have dropped out or otherwise are not in school. Similar contemporaneous cross sections based on household data are used by Akmal and Pritchett (this issue) , who use ASER and Uwezo data, and Beatty et al (this issue) , who use a national Indonesian household survey, as well as in the broader literature ( Asadullah and Chaudhury, 2014 ). Johnson and Parrado (this issue) compare ASER learning assessments with a national learning assessment (the National Achievement Survey, or NAS) in India, finding that ASER is more reliable for assessing learning levels and comparisons across states.…”

Section: Five Implications From the Special Issue Papersmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Therefore, focusing on targets for equality across groups, such as rich and poor, within countries, will not do enough to improve equality of learning between countries or to help poorer countries catch up to a global target. Akmal and Pritchett (this issue) find that, across five LMICs, even if the poorest children were supported to learn as well as the richest, universal mastery of basic skills such as literacy would still be a distant goal ( Fig. 3 ).…”

Section: Five Implications From the Special Issue Papersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using learning profiles to inform education priorities: An editors’ overview of the Special Issue

Crouch

Kaffenberger

Savage

2021

International Journal of Educational Development

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This special issue explores the use of learning profiles for analysing the dynamics of low learning in low- and middle-income countries and informing priorities to address the learning crisis. The 12 papers in the special issue draw on learning data from more than 50 countries and 6 million individuals, with implications for education policy and practice. Taken together, they point to a need to steepen learning trajectories by prioritizing early mastery of foundational skills for all children. The papers show that addressing the learning crisis will not be achieved through more school grade attainment alone, nor through within-country equality across groups (such as girls and boys or rich and poor). Positive examples show that programs focused on foundational learning both improved average learning and reduced inequality. Addressing the learning crisis will require a focus on systems improvement, using foundational learning as a case in point for making the needed systems improvements to steepen learning throughout children’s time in school. Learning profiles can provide a guide for education actors aiming to improve learning outcomes.

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“…At the same time, developing countries, such as the Philippines, have shifted to modular distance learning in their public school system due to some challenges in online infrastructure. However, the literature showed that equalizing learning profiles across different countries requires more than closing the rich-poor gaps but an equal learning progression for all [4]. Akmal and Pritchett [4] added that even with equity goals of schooling and learning, children are still far from mastering basic mathematics by the age of 12 or 13.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the literature showed that equalizing learning profiles across different countries requires more than closing the rich-poor gaps but an equal learning progression for all [4]. Akmal and Pritchett [4] added that even with equity goals of schooling and learning, children are still far from mastering basic mathematics by the age of 12 or 13.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping Pupil’s Learning Progression Using Hand Manipulatives and Touch Screen Applications: Implications to Post-COVID-19 New Normal

Gonzales

2022

Education Research International

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The study investigates the shifts in pupils’ learning progression levels while they learn fractions using hand manipulatives and touch screen applications. A total of 10 children paired with preservice teachers participated in a 12-week learning design. This was performed during the disruptions of the academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study uses the convergent mixed methods design to document qualitative and quantitative data. The method enables the researcher to compare, relate, and merge results. The author develops a microscoring tool to help the preservice teachers analyze observed learning progressions. The theoretical underpinning was based on a constructivist environment while learning mathematics. Results documented evidence of shifts and recursions in children’s learning progressions along with the Pirie–Kieren model while interacting with hand manipulatives and touch screen applications. The quantitative and thematic analyses revealed three different shifts in pupils’ learning. The study suggests that an open-ended number of tasks at varying levels of difficulty led the pupils to refine their understanding of the concept image resulting in progression shifts in learning. With the interconnectedness of the findings, it is proposed that design features in mathematics apps paired with manipulative kits be investigated on a large population. Implications for delivery modes and policy directions in post-COVID-19 new normal are presented.

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Learning equity requires more than equality: Learning goals and achievement gaps between the rich and the poor in five developing countries⋆

Cited by 22 publications

References 10 publications

Towards a Right to Learn: Concepts and Measurement of Global Education Poverty

Towards a Right to Learn: Concepts and Measurement of Global Education Poverty

Using learning profiles to inform education priorities: An editors’ overview of the Special Issue

Mapping Pupil’s Learning Progression Using Hand Manipulatives and Touch Screen Applications: Implications to Post-COVID-19 New Normal

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