This week in our Building Research Competencies class, we had to choose from a selection of websites, research the one we picked and answer a few questions.
The website I chose is from the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) which was developed and is currently maintained by the University of Victoria, Canada.
The link to the site is: http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php.
I also used the link: http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php, to view a list of current early childhood research conducted by students in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The questions we had to answer are as follows:
(1) What are some of the current international research topics?
Some of the current research topics include Improving the Quality of Childcare Through Parenting Enrichment, Involving Fathers in Early Childhood Care and Development, Professional Associations in Support of Child Well Being, and my personal favorite because it's an issue here as well - Effective School and Parent Collaborations.
(2) What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?
I found out that every six months in Madrasa (which is one of the fasted growing cities in West Africa), a Madrasa Evaluation Instrument (MEI) is used to evaluate preschool activities (including classroom practice and community work) to aid teachers and help staff identify what needs to be addressed in preschools, and at the end of each evaluation, objectives are set for the next six months.
I also found out that At the end of two years (if certain requirements are met), "when a preschool graduates from the program, they are given a certificate, and receive a graduation grant of US $2500. The graduation grant is part of the endowment program set up to support madrasa preschools in financial sustainability. In addition to the graduation grant, madrasa preschool members are also encouraged to save money during the two years of support. This money is matched on a one-to-one for up to US $2500 when the preschool graduates. The graduation grant, school savings and the matching funds from all madrasa preschools are invested in a common pool and dividends are expected to be used for supplementing teachers’ salaries and school maintenance" (Mohammed Ahmed, A. 2003, p.14).
(3) What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?
I found out that this website addressed information in almost all parts of Africa and starts as far back as the 1980's and is current as "2013". The researchers took the time out to carefully and objectively research their information and provided exemplary data.
Reference:
Mohammed Ahmed, A. (2003). Building Community Leadership for Quality Sustainability in Madrasa Preschools: The Case of Madrasa Preschools Post Graduation Support. Retrieved from the ECDVU Sub-Saharan Africa website: http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/documents/major_projects/Ahmed%20MP%20Final%20UVic%20LP.pdf
Hi Banae
ReplyDeleteMadrasa is Arabic means a place of learning. It appears that the fundamental learning is now accruing. Great post!
Banae,
ReplyDeleteI also found topics that focus on the involvement of fathers in their child's early childhood on the Early Childhood Australia site. That seems to be a growing topic internationally and it's interesting to see how it differs on a global scale. The preschool graduation grant program seems like a beneficial way of promoting positive education in early childhood in addition to preschoolers receiving academic and social exposed at young age.
Thank you for posting about ECDVU!
Caitlin