Adult Learning and COVID-19

Since October 2020, BALID has been leading research into the impact of COVID-19 and Adult Learning and Education Programmes in Afghanistan, the Philippines and the UK. The project is funded by the British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE) Seedcorn Funding.

The synthesis report is available here.

The Afghanistan Country Report is available here.

The Philippine Country Report is available here.

The UK Country Report is available here.

 

Project Aims

Learn more about the report and its key findings in this video as part of the research team’s presentation at the UKFIET Conference 2021

The aim of the scoping research was to explore ongoing and potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on adult learning and education programmes in the contrasting contexts of Afghanistan, the Philippines and the UK, with a particular interest in adult literacy components. This project was funded by the British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE) through a  Seedcorn Funding Grant dedicated to supporting pilot and scoping research in education across different contexts. 

The overarching research questions for the project were: 

  1. i) How, and to what extent, has Covid-19 affected ALE programmes in Afghanistan, the Philippines and the UK?
  2. ii) What role might ALE have in responding to challenges presented by the pandemic in these contexts?

These questions signal a broader treatment of ‘impact’, recognising that while the project explores how ALE is affected as a sector (as in the first question), it is also interested in how ALE programmes play a role in responding to the multiple impacts of COVID-19 in the communities. Findings from this research will inform a policy brief presenting recommendations on how governments and non-state actors are able to take into account the needs of adult learners as COVID-19 continues.

Research Team

This project was led by BALID (British Association for Literacy in Development) alongside BALID Members ANAFAE (Afghan National Association for Adult Education) in Afghanistan, Transformare in the Philippines and the UNESCO Chair in Adult Literacy and Learning for Social Transformation at the University of East Anglia.

Project Lead: Dr Ian Cheffy

Research coordinator: Dr Chris Millora

Afghanistan Team: Abdul Bashir Khaliqi (lead) and Mohammad Naeim Maleki

The Philippines Team: Gina Lontoc (lead), Arceli Amarles, Ma. Joahna Mante-Estacio, Rosalie T. Quilicol, Grace Reoperez and Katrina Ninfa M. Topacio

UK Team: Dr Katy Newell-Jones (lead), Tara Furlong, Simon Fuller, Dr Ian Cheffy and Dr Chris Millora