Bridging the Numeracy Gap for Learners in ECDE in Marginalized Areas
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To investigate the social cultural, socio-economic, and institutional factors that contribute to numeracy gaps among children in marginalized communities in Kenya.
To evaluate the capacity and preparedness of teachers in marginalized areas to support numeracy interventions for children in marginalized communities in Kenya.
To recommend sustainable strategies for bridging the numeracy gap for children in marginalized communities in Kenya
To strengthen community involvement in stakeholder engagement for advocacy in improvement of numeracy for children in marginalized areas.
Objectives
Background
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NASMLA/SAMECO scores list the four counties of Mandera, Marsabit, Turkana and West Pokot lowest scores (average of 400) confirming ASAL counties rank among the lowest for foundational numeracy.(readkong.com)
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FLANA 2023 Lists counties with performance gaps for young learners ranking Mandera, Marsabit,Turkana, Samburu, West Pokot,TanaRiver and Wajir (average 20%) amongst the highest
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Counties with the highest out of school rates include Mandera, Marsabit, Turkana, and Wajir (FLANA 2023) out of school rates is considered as a barrier numeracy outcomes
Some ECDE classes in session
Case Study
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Region
Turkana County
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Sample
10 Schools
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Characteristics
Marginalized
Under resourced
Asal
Methods
This study adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative research methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of the numeracy challenges faced by children in marginalized areas. The qualitative methods align with community driven engagements that resulted in contextually relevant data. The quantitative methods complement the qualitative methods and serve detailed analyses to make the results more visible.
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Objective one Contributing Factors
School Access: Out of school rate >30%
Quality Deficits- High Teacher pupil ratio (1:60 –1:120) coupled with minimal resources especially for activity based learning
Infrastructure & resources deficits: water/ sanitation/ crowded classrooms < 50% are well resourced
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Findings
Findings
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Objective Two
Teacher Capacity
Objective three
Sustainable
strategies
Objective
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Pedagogy gaps noted in <50 % of the teachers
Co creation workshops for capacity Building in numeracy Activities for ECDE teachers
Stakeholder capacity building workshops
Discussion
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Distance to school
Socio economic status of the care givers
Supportive infrastructure
Geographical Location
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Teacher pupil ratio
Geographical location of the school
Teacher professional learning communities
Teacher Factors
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Adult illiteracy rate
Stakeholder engagement
Community Engagement
Recommendations
Increase quality access: to reduce out-of-school rates through community enrollment drives.
Strengthen ECDE quality: Lower pupil–teacher ratios (target max 1:25), hire locals, and improve teacher deployment in ASAL locales.
Upgrade infrastructure: Invest in safe classrooms, WASH facilities, and durable learning materials.
Implement remedial numeracy programs: train teachers to focus on basic arithmetic from early grades.
Leverage public-private partnerships: Expand affordable private schooling models adapted to ASAL realities.
Conclusion
This researcher is requesting for funding to upscale the study to all marginalized counties in Kenya in-order to generate county specific data informed recommendations.