Pathways to Educational Success Among Refugees: Connecting Locally and Globally Situated Resources

Abstract

Biographical SketchesSarah Dryden-Peterson is an Associate Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research focuses on education in armed conflict and the ways in which learning, pedagogies, and relationships may alter trajectories of conflict for nation-states and individuals.Negin Dahya is an Assistant Professor at the Information School at the University of Washington. Her research explores how social and cultural contexts shape digital media production, social media participation, and technology use for girls and women.Elizabeth Adelman is an advanced doctoral candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research explores the experiences of teachers working in conflict-affected settings and how they understand their educational, social, and emotional obligations towards their refugee students.

Refugees and online education: student perspectives on need and support in the context of (online) higher education

“…In addition to formal learning, research into virtual support networks in camp settings, showed the great importance of such community building for easing pathways into higher education and to facilitate study success, especially for female learners (Dahya and Dryden-Peterson 2017;Dryden-Peterson, Dahya, and Adelman 2017). Furthermore, technology helps to keep educational pathways mobile, e.g., studying does not need to stop when people move (GIZ 2016, 5).…”

Social support networks, instant messaging, and gender equity in refugee education

“…Moodle, Blackboard, Canvas) or alternative digital tools such as email or file sharing over mobile phones and tablets. Text and instant messaging are notable aspects of these educational landscapes Dryden-Peterson, Dahya & Adelman, 2017).…”

“…In this landscape, digital communities may be an asset to teachers and their students to support teacher training, provide digital content, and enhance opportunities for literacy and learning (see Unwin, Weber, Brugha & Hollow, 2017). Our own previous work has identified a crucial, supportive role that both mobile phones and social networks have in the education of refugees in Kenya, particularly among secondary school graduates who often proceed to become teachers in the camps (see Dryden-Peterson et al, 2017). We drew on data collected through in-depth interviews with refugees from Dadaab Refugee Camps pursuing postsecondary education and on survey data from the Somali diaspora to understand the role of transnational networks, including information and communication technology (ICT) and social media.…”

“…Transnational social networks, mediated by mobile phones and internet-enabled apps like WhatsApp, emerged from preexisting face-to-face relationships established in person in the camps, most notably with other refugee teachers and refugee community members who then migrated elsewhere. These transnational networks informed and supported refugees from Dadaab in pursuing higher education, particularly women Dryden-Peterson et al, 2017).…”

“…material and social capital(Dryden-Peterson et al, 2017). On the one hand, women remain excluded from technology and higher education opportunities in refugee settings.…”