Who owns and drives Africa’s data and knowledge systems?
In this #AHDARS2026 podcast, #IamAPHRC’s @lamechmutava speaks with Fredrick Murunga Wekesah and @isammygh on data sovereignty, governance, and building African-led knowledge systems.
🎧 Listen: https://t.co/4oC7sMLknT
Strengthening foundational learning requires moving beyond asking whether teachers are using the “expected” pedagogy. Instead, focus on why teachers teach the way they do and strengthen the conditions that enable effective instructional decisions for every learner.
Today, #IamAPHRC, @EduMinKenya , Teachers Service Commission, @KICDKenya , The Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE), Teacher Training Colleges and partner organizations working on foundational learning have launched a report on "𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚: 𝐀𝐧 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬’ 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬."
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:
✅ Classroom observations showed that teachers were actively engaged in instruction, though whole-class teaching remained dominant.
✅ Teachers’ pedagogical decisions were shaped by content, learners’ needs and understanding, materials, time, and class conditions.
✅ Teachers pointed to inadequate or non-functional devices, unreliable electricity and connectivity, data costs, limited training, and the time needed to integrate ICT effectively.
✅ Mental health problems are fairly common among teachers (~20%) and may negatively affect teaching behavior and practice, including lesson preparation and instruction quality.
🔗 Read the report for more details: https://t.co/4PEmvj4dHm
#FoundationalLearning #EducationInKenya #FLN
@mngware , @atiabu , @MargaretNa90870 , @LucyWakiaga , @CKyobutungi , @CharityWaweru , @Liz_Kimani , @charleslenjo , @AginaAg , @ndonyesarah
Education systems are effective when built on evidence.
From early childhood development to higher education, #IamAPHRC's Human Development Theme is generating research that informs policy, strengthens education systems, and improves learning outcomes across Africa.
In this video, APHRC’s researchers share insights on nurturing care, inclusive and quality education, gender and education, higher education, and how evidence drives meaningful systems change.
🎥 Watch the video for more information: https://t.co/50SjUrVoe7
#Education #EvidenceForAction #HumanDevelopment #WeAreAfrica
@mngware , @atiabu , @MargaretNa90870 , @LucyWakiaga , @CKyobutungi , @CharityWaweru , @Liz_Kimani , @charleslenjo , @AginaAg , @ndonyesarah
Kenya has invested heavily in teacher education: competency-based curriculum reforms, foundational learning initiatives, and clear guidelines like the 2024 Guidelines on Micro-Teaching and Practicum.
Yet school-based practicum, where student teachers actually learn to teach, still varies wildly in quality from one institution to the next. The gap is not in policy development but in coordinating implementation across national policy, teacher education institutions, and placement schools.
This policy brief underscores that the key to improvement is not more inputs, but stronger alignment and coordination across the system through:
✅ Structured mentorship
✅ Progressive and guided practice
✅ Peer learning and reflection
✅ Meaningful partnerships between teacher education institutions and placement schools
✅ A shared national framework for standards and quality assurance.
📖 Read the full brief here: https://t.co/ZYuyNzgHr2
#TeacherEducation #EducationPolicy #Kenya #FoundationalLearning
@alvinkimy@Kilichobaki@mngware@LucyWakiaga@Kilichobaki@MoituiNtenga@atiabu@kadzomudzo@DMdiarafa@amveyange@CKyobutungi@RatemoJuliet@williamsila@dorcas_odhiambo@MangwanaVJ@deborahndlovu@ndonyesarah@njerimbuthia@Chris_Maero
At #FLEX2026 in Malawi, #IamAPHRC co-hosted a session on a critical question: How do we move from providing teaching materials to ensuring they are effectively used in classrooms?
Drawing on classroom observation evidence from Kenya (Grades 1 & 3 across 11 counties), national learning data from @usawaagenda , and country experiences from Botswana and Malawi, one message was clear: materials alone don't improve learning; effective classroom practice does.
Evidence from Kenya shows that:
✅ Teaching remains largely teacher-centered.
✅ There is limited use of group work and differentiated instruction.
✅ Most learning materials being used in Kenyan classrooms are mainly printed and supplied.
✅ Persistent gaps between schooling inputs and actual learning outcomes.
Some of the key takeaways included:
1️⃣ There is a need for ongoing teacher support and coaching
2️⃣ The availability of materials does not always translate to their effective use.
3️⃣ Bridging the gap between policy and classroom practice is critical
4️⃣ System alignment and leadership drive impact.
The recommendations revolved around the need to prioritize classroom practice, support teachers to effectively use learning materials and deliver learner-centered instruction.
#FLEX2026 #FoundationalLearning #APHRC #FLN #Education #UsawaAgenda
@alvinkimy@kilichobaki@fridah@mngware
#IamAPHRC contributed to a high-level co-creation workshop with Malawi's Ministries of Education and Gender to support the development of the National Gender in Education Programme.
The discussions brought together policymakers, researchers, and development partners to align evidence with policy and co-create a shared vision for gender-responsive and inclusive education.
Key reflections from the discussions included:
✅ Malawi has made notable progress in achieving gender parity in primary education, but significant disparities remain across the education journey, particularly for adolescent girls.
✅ Evidence shows that impactful interventions include financial support, gender-responsive teaching practices, WASH investments, and policy reforms, though sustaining these efforts remains a challenge.
✅ There is a critical need to strengthen responses to school-related gender-based violence, better support adolescent mothers, and create more inclusive learning environments.
✅ Long-term progress will require moving beyond fragmented initiatives toward coordinated, system-wide solutions that strengthen governance, financing, and accountability.
The workshop reaffirmed a shared commitment to developing an evidence-informed national program that reflects local priorities and ensures every learner has the opportunity to succeed.
#GenderEquality #InclusiveEducation #EducationPolicy #Malawi #SystemsChange #APHRC
@alvinkimy@gwedeza_sharon@Kilichobaki
A 3-year FL programme. Improving test scores. Better-supported teachers. Then funding ends — & 6 months later, it's largely stopped.
That's the cycle Sub-theme 4 at #AFRICAFLEX2026 confronts: how do you build reform that survives the funder's exit?
https://t.co/iFAcSx5I9N
The debate continues. I also think the balance between import-export policies pursued by LMIC is a good starting point for the structural response, and the will of political leadership to initiate that response is key #EducationWorjs@WBG_Education
Mass unmet demand for talent. A vast untapped labor force.
The mismatch between what education systems produce & what labor markets need is a structural problem demanding a structural response. #EducationWorks https://t.co/XPSwGx7Kw7
Two years ago, #IamAPHRC researchers set out to ensure that every data point collected from a classroom meant something to the teachers, the communities, and the learners themselves. Today, the KIX SEEDS project reflects on its journey as it comes to a close.
The project has engaged teachers in Manga, Burkina Faso; learners in Gulu, Uganda; and data champions in Yoff, Senegal, while working alongside governments, districts, and schools to ensure stronger education data systems, more informed planning and decision-making, and a growing community of changemakers who are keeping learners at the center of every conversation.
Some of the key takeaways from this project are:
✅ Keep data at the heart of education planning.
✅Share what's working.
✅Learn from one another. Scale what's proven.
✅Leave no child behind.
Watch the highlights from our end-of-project meeting below. 👇
https://t.co/fEslJf0VN8
#IamAPHRC #WeAreAfrica #APHRCResearch #EducationData
@RatemoJuliet,@DMdiarafa,@CKyobutungi,@amveyange , @deborahndlovu, @Hope_Shete , @MDMwanga, @DKadengye, @Espira15, @florahpeace, @hope_shete, @agnes_kiragga , @mngware, @lamechmutava, @ChristineGer22@TayibFall, @GPforEducation, @ESEA2023, @hisp_uganda, @dhis_2, @dia_diama, @singa05herve, @HBassinga, @FrancisKiroro, @CheikhounaDia12
Who teaches children in refugee camps?
Many are refugee teachers themselves. Yet despite playing a critical role in ensuring children continue learning, refugee teachers often remain invisible in education policies and support systems.
Join us on June 23 for the webinar, 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐠𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚, where we will share new findings from the Teacher Well-Being Study and explore how governments, humanitarian organizations, and education stakeholders can better recognize, support, and invest in the educators at the heart of refugee education.
📅 June 23, 2026
⏰ 2:00 – 3:30 PM EAT
Registration Link - https://t.co/D6vPE7lJb3
#IamAPHRC #WeAreAfrica #APHRCResearch #WorldRefugeeDay2026 #TeacherWellBeing #RefugeeEducation #TeachWell #APHRC #EducationForAll
SAVE THE DATE!
How can Africa strengthen locally owned, equitable, and policy-relevant education research systems?
Join researchers, policymakers, practitioners, donors, and education leaders for a critical webinar on: Localizing Education Research in Africa for Equity and Inclusion: From Evidence to Action.
The conversation will explore:
✅ Barriers to localizing education research
✅ Decolonizing knowledge systems
✅ Equity and multilingualism in research
✅ Strengthening African-led research ecosystems
✅ Translating evidence into policy and practice
🗓️ May 26, 2026
⏰ 11:00 – 13:20 GMT | 14:00–16:20 EAT |📍 Zoom
Hosted by ESSA and APHRC with support from IDRC.
Register here: https://t.co/LFtGD3r1xJ
#LocalizingResearch #AfricanEducation #DecolonizeResearch #EquityAndInclusion
@ESSA_Africa@nrfkenya @CUE_Kenya@alvinkimy @kilichobaki@MNgware@LucyWakiaga@MoituiNtenga@atiabu@kadzomudzo@DMdiarafa@amveyange@CKyobutungi@Mulidavis@RatemoJuliet@williamsila@DorcasOdhiambo@deborahndlovu@ndonyesarah