Research Design

The pilot phase of the study took place from 2017 – 2018 in 10 schools. It consisted of

• Baseline testing of children in October 2017 and end-line testing in May 2018.
• In-depth qualitative work with up to 30 children in one school. Detailed ethnographic data was also conducted plus an intensive case study analysis of four families. Interviews were also held with school staff and community leaders.
• Assessing the feasibility of undertaking a randomised controlled trial of the Safe Learning Model in more communities.
• To trial the range of methods appropriate to the study of children’s everyday lives inside and outside school
• The development and testing of culturally sensitive instruments measuring Child Wellbeing, Gender Equality and Gender Violence

The ethnographic data was collected using observant participation methodology and child-centred qualitative research as well as visual ethnography techniques, including photo-voice, life-course drawings and family trees.

Pilot report executive summary available here.

One hundred primary schools in the Tonkolili district were randomly clustered into four groups: 25 control group schools and 75 schools receiving varying levels of the Safe Learning Programme (Groups 1, 2 and 3).

Four case study schools were selected to match the intervention levels of the Safe Learning programme – one case school from each arm of the trial.

Building on the findings from the pilot phase, the Safe Learning Study involves a matched mixed methods design including a Randomised Control Trial (RCT) and case studies of four villages.

Quantitative Sample

• Follows children from Class 1 through to class 3
• 3000 children in 100 schools
• Questionnaires with 100 teachers annually
• Questionnaires with 100 principals annually
• Community survey

Case Study Sample

• Follows  children from Class 1 through to Class 3 in four schools
• 16 Inter-generational family case studies (Elder, Parent, Case study child, Sibling)
• Interviews with class teachers
• Interviews with Principals
• Interviews with Elders and community leaders

Quantitative data is being collected across all 100 participating schools via three measures at baseline and at the end of each year in the study.

1. A pre-literacy test
2. Well-being measure
3. Early Grades Reading Assessment (EGRA)

Prior to both the baseline and end-line quantitative data collection, training with field staff from Nestbuilders International (NBI) takes place in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

On each occasion, training is designed and delivered by the research manager at NBI and a representative from the UCD School of Education.

The ethnographic data we collect uses participant and non-participant observation; child-centred qualitative research as well as visual ethnography techniques, including photo-voice.

In each phase of the research members of the UCD School of Education spend time immersed in each case study community, with the assistance of two NBI field staff fluent in the local language.

Together we spend time with the children and their teachers in the classroom, to learn about teaching and learning practices, peer and school cultures.

Each year we also speak with our case study families: 8 families of boys and 8 families of girls in the case study classes. We speak with their parents and grandparents, as well as elders and Chief in each local village.

Like countries around the world, Sierra Leone was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and schools were closed from March - October 2020.

The UCD team conducted research with a sub-sample of our schools in order to:

• Provide information on the implementation of school closures in Tonkolili
• Track the immediate needs of communities in light of school closures
• Review the impact of extended school closures on case study communities

Owing to social distancing requirements, structured phone interviews were conducted in June and July 2020 with the 77 principals of schools involved in the Safe Learning Study.

Qualitative semi-structured interviews with four headteachers in the case study schools were also conducted.

In November 2020, once schools were safely re-opened, each of the four case study communities were visited by researchers.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the case study families, the children, teachers and principals of their experiences during the period of school closure.

For more information see the executive summary of the Covid 19 Safe Learning Report