Education In Rwanda Research Articles

Creating high-quality early childhood education in Rwanda: teacher dispositions, child-centred play, and culturally relevant materials

ABSTRACT Overcoming challenges to quality early education in developing nations, TEACH Rwanda, one high-performing education system, offers a model of childhood learning through sensitive teacher dispositions, child-centred play, and culturally relevant materials. This manuscript provides a unique window into the practices of a quality early childhood system in Rwanda and articulates how these high-quality approaches to early childhood education can be executed successfully in developing nations with limited resources. The guidelines for practice and illustrations from real classrooms are relevant for a range of educators around the world. One key to success is the programmes’ homegrown professional development approach featuring Rwandans teaching Rwandans, which builds capacity within the system. The professional development description encourages administrators and directors to establish such programmes which can successfully build capacity and sustainability within their schools.

Oncology Training in Rwanda: Challenges and Opportunities for Undergraduate Medical Students (The EDUCAN Project).

A critical shortage of trained cancer specialists is one of the major challenges in addressing the increasing cancer burden in low- and middle-income countries. Inadequate undergraduate cancer education in oncology remains a major obstacle for both task shifting to general practitioners and for training of specialists. We provide the first report of cancer education in Rwanda's undergraduate program to survey how new graduates are prepared to provide care for cancer patients. Anonymous online survey was sent January to June 2017 to medical students in their senior clinical years (years 5 and 6). Questions related to the demographics, medical curriculum, and general oncology exposure were included in the survey. Of 192 eligible students, 42% (n = 80) completed the survey and were analyzed. The majority were 25 to 29years of age and 41% were female. Internal medicine was cited to provide the most exposure to cancer patients (50%) and cancer bedside teaching (55%). Close to a half (46%) have been taught oncology formally in addition to bedside teaching. A tenth (11%) of the participants felt comfortable in attending a cancer patient, and a fifth (21%) of the students felt comfortable while addressing multimodality treatment approach. The majority (99%) of the participants preferred having a formal oncology rotation. Of particular interest, 61% of the students are interested in pursuing an oncology career path. There is a need to modify the current oncology undergraduate curriculum to prepare future physicians for delivering cancer care in Rwanda. Raising the profile of oncology in undergraduate medical education will complement the on-going efforts to increase the country's capacity in task shifting and in training of cancer specialists.

Cancer Education in Rwanda: Challenges and Opportunities for Undergraduate Medical Students (The EDUCAN Project)

Background: Shortage and lack of trained cancer specialists is one of the major challenges in addressing the increasing cancer burden in low and middle income countries. Inadequate undergraduate cancer education in oncology remains a major obstacle for both task shifting to general practitioners and for training of specialists. We provide the first report of cancer education in Rwanda's undergraduate program to survey how fresh graduates are prepared to provide care for cancer patients. Aim: - Identify the current status of cancer education in one of Rwanda's two medical schools; - Provide a basis for educational reforms that target improvements of cancer knowledge and management. Methods: Anonymous online survey was sent January to June 2017 to medical students in their senior clinical years (year 5 and 6). Questions related to the demographics, medical curriculum and general oncology exposure were included in the survey. Results: Of 192 eligible students, 42% (n=80) completed the survey and were analyzed. The majority were 25 to 29 years of age and 41% were female. Internal medicine was cited to provide the most exposure to cancer patients (50%) and cancer bedside teaching (55%). Close to a half (46%) have been taught oncology formally in addition to bedside teaching. A tenth (11%) of the participants felt comfortable in attending a cancer patient, and a fifth (21%) of the students felt comfortable while addressing multimodality treatment approach. The majority (99%) of the participants preferred having a formal oncology rotation. Of particular interest, 61% of the students are interested in pursuing an oncology career path. Conclusion: There is a need to modify the current oncology undergraduate curriculum to prepare future physicians for delivering cancer care in Rwanda. Raising the profile of oncology in undergraduate medical education will complement the on-going efforts to increase the country's capacity in task shifting an in training of cancer specialists.

Community engineering education: The case of post-conflict Rwanda

We argue for the need for and provide an example of a new form of community-based engineering education in Rwanda. We draw on Bourdieu’s theories of field and habitus to frame the arguments for an alternative to the current dominant engineering education model. The proposed community engineering education programme has three key facets including the development of critical thinking of students using critical theory, the students’ creation of alternative practices as a result of such critical thinking, and the appropriate pedagogy for delivering the programme. This model programme is aimed to address Rwanda’s endemic problems of economic development, poverty, environment, healthcare and energy. Specifically, it can allow students to develop very much needed, socially and environmentally just engineering systems as well as locally appropriate businesses, thus directly addressing the needs of the country and its people. The programme could apply to any post-conflict situation or indeed any development context.

The Role of the Public-Private Partnerships in Widening Access to Tertiary Education in Rwanda: Evidences and Challenges

Education is a key instrument for any nations’ economic, political, and social development. This is because education increases productivity of workers, reduces criminal activities, reduces mortality rates, and controls birth rates among many others. To these ends, governments assume the responsibility for providing and financing education. However, due to limited resources, governments, particularly in low and middle income countries are not able to respond to the high need and demand for education. It is in this perspective that governments have to explore diverse ways of financing and providing education. They therefore involve the private sector in financing and management of educational institutions. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine the role of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in widening access to higher education in Rwanda. Specifically, it tried to find out the extent to which PPPs has widened access to tertiary education in Rwanda, to highlight different forms of PPPs in Rwandan tertiary education and finally to explore different challenges to PPPs in Rwandan tertiary education. The study was a critical review critical review of different educational documents about the role of the public-private partnership in education. The study revealed that PPPs has considerably widened access to tertiary education. It was also revealed that PPPs take the form privately managed educational institutions, public and private organizations offering scholarships to students and the purchase of educational services from private sector by the government. It was finally revealed that lack of qualified staff, limited financing, and lack of policy and framework are key challenges to PPPs in tertiary education. Hence, government was recommended to develop clear PPPs policy and framework governing PPPs and both public and private sectors to strengthen PPPs to widen access to tertiary education for country sustainable development.

The Role of the Public-Private Partnerships in Widening Access to Tertiary Education in Rwanda: Evidences and Challenges

Education is a key instrument for any nations’ economic, political, and social development. This is because education increases productivity of workers, reduces criminal activities, reduces mortality rates, and controls birth rates among many others. To these ends, governments assume the responsibility for providing and financing education. However, due to limited resources, governments, particularly in low and middle income countries are not able to respond to the high need and demand for education. It is in this perspective that governments have to explore diverse ways of financing and providing education. They therefore involve the private sector in financing and management of educational institutions. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine the role of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in widening access to higher education in Rwanda. Specifically, it tried to find out the extent to which PPPs has widened access to tertiary education in Rwanda, to highlight different forms of PPPs in Rwandan tertiary education and finally to explore different challenges to PPPs in Rwandan tertiary education. The study was a critical review critical review of different educational documents about the role of the public-private partnership in education. The study revealed that PPPs has considerably widened access to tertiary education. It was also revealed that PPPs take the form privately managed educational institutions, public and private organizations offering scholarships to students and the purchase of educational services from private sector by the government. It was finally revealed that lack of qualified staff, limited financing, and lack of policy and framework are key challenges to PPPs in tertiary education. Hence, government was recommended to develop clear PPPs policy and framework governing PPPs and both public and private sectors to strengthen PPPs to widen access to tertiary education for country sustainable development.

Students perceptions of using a second language in a mother tongue dominated environment

While English is an official language and holds a significant role in education not only as a medium of instruction but also a subject of study from primary to tertiary level in Rwandan education system, some students still stick on their mother tongue in academic environment and this impedes language education and quality education as a whole. Based on Communicative approach, this study explored students’ perceptions of using a second language in a mother tongue dominated environment. The study involved 36 Diploma students from language education combinations. Questionnaire was used for data collection. Analysis revealed that mother tongue environment affects second language use. It was recommended that efforts be made to practice and improve their English language for effective communication.

Revisiting the Reusability and Openness of Resources in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Open Courseware

The marketing of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Open Courseware gives the impression that it has the potential to contribute to quality open learning and opening up higher education globally. It is from this perspective that the potential contribution of Open Educational Resources (OER) units in the MIT Open Courseware to opening up higher education in Rwanda was investigated. Ten OER units were sampled as objects of the study. I took the role of an archive analyst, giving full attention to any item that constituted each unit. Results indicate that only one unit had enough openly licensed resources to enable its potential adaptation for use in opening up higher education. In other units, only metadata (course information, the syllabus, course calendar, and the list of required and suggested readings), assignments and/or quizzes/exams were openly licensed. Most (if not all) of the required and suggested readings, which are the core learning materials learners need to engage with for quality learning, had to be purchased, mostly from the Amazon website. On the basis of these findings, I argue that the MIT Open Courseware served the marketing agenda (probably for the purpose of acquiring funding), rather than the open access agenda. The study may benefit funding organisations, educators and institutions that are interested in supporting or engaging in the production, adaptation and use of OER with an agenda to contribute to opening up higher education.

Political Settlements, Women's Representation and Gender Equality: The 2008 Gender-Based Violence Law and Gender Parity in Primary and Secondary Education in Rwanda

This paper explores the ways in which power and politics shape the realisation of women’s rights and gender equity in Rwanda. In the past decade, Rwanda has become a global leader in increasing women’s inclusion in politics and in promoting and securing women’s rights. This paper considers legislative reform, policy formulation and policy implementation in two areas: gender-based violence and gender parity in education. The paper injects a gender analysis into the political settlement theoretical framework and seeks to answer two questions: (1) how do women and other actors (including formal and information institutions, powerbrokers and other key decision-makers) negotiate within Rwanda’s dominant-party form of political settlement? And (2) how does Rwanda’s political settlement shape gender equity policy outcomes? This study found that Rwanda’s success in terms of women’s rights is the result of its vibrant women’s movement, the political will of the dominant party, the expertise of professional technocrats in the government administration, and a system of performance contracts, which shapes bureaucratic behaviour through to the frontline of service delivery. These findings are significant because they highlight the importance of a highly qualified, professional cadre in government and of accountability within government administration for securing women’s rights.

The Rwandan Secondary School Competence-Based Curriculum: Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes to Incorporate in the University of Rwanda-College of Education Programs to Align them with the Current Curriculum

Since its insertion in 1998, Kigali Institute of Education, currently known as College of Education under the University of Rwanda, henceforth ‘The University of Rwanda-College of Education (UR-CE)’, it`s first mission has been training and producing teachers for secondary schools in Rwanda. To a certain extent, bearing in mind that Rwanda Education Board (REB), an institution in charge of education in Rwanda from kindergarten to secondary education, in designing its programmes, UR-CE curricula from Rwanda Education Board (REB) were taken into account. Recently, REB has introduced a new Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) replacing the knowledge-based one that has been in practice for many years. Hence, the UR-CE is also obliged to revise its programmes and align them with the new CBC designed for secondary schools so that the UR-CE graduates are equipped with required knowledge and practical skills to cope with the demands of the newly introduced secondary school competence-based curriculum. Relying on existing documentation supported with our observations and critical analysis, this analytical paper attempts to highlight some of the knowledge, skills and attitudes deemed important to be incorporated in new UR-CE revised programmes in a way to align them with the secondary school Competence-based curriculum designed by REB. It also seeks to point out some of the challenges that might be associated with the teaching of such suggested knowledge, skills and attitudes; and provide measures to mitigate such challenges.

Implementation of competency based curriculum in pre-service nursing education: Middle range theory

BackgroundCompetency Based Curriculum is acknowledged as the benchmark for transforming and up scaling the education and training of the health workforce for improved population and health outcomes. It was adopted in pre-service nursing education in Rwanda in 2007, when it switched from a content-driven curriculum to align education with the demands of the working environment. Although this approach is recommended in national health policies, there is no clear guide for its implementation at the nursing school level. AimTo develop a middle range theory that guides the practice of competency based curriculum in pre-service nursing education. MethodThe grounded theory of Corbin and Strauss was followed. After obtaining ethical approval, data was collected through individual interviews with the staff and focus group interviews with the students that were triangulated by observations and document analysis. ResultsTwo main categories emerged: (a) Process of implementing Competency based curriculum which generated two sub-categories: (1) Implementation, (2) monitoring and evaluation; (b) outcome based education generated three subcategories: (1) health care system, (2) graduates, and (3) nursing education system. DiscussionIn this context, competency based curriculum entails the processes used to achieve learning outcomes. These processes student-centered implementation, and monitoring and evaluation that result in the accreditation of curriculum at the end of the cycle. The outcomes of these processes lead to the production of competent graduates qualified as agent of change, lifelong students and independent practitioners. ConclusionA middle range theory serves as a guide to implement competency based curriculum in pre-service nursing education.

Using children’s literature to promote gender equality in education: The case of the fairy tale of Ndabaga in Rwanda

The purpose of this study is to investigate how educational use of Rwandan children’s literature, mainly fairy tales, can challenge traditional gender roles in Rwandan education. Indeed, researchers in and authors of children’s literature argue that the manner in which gender is represented in children’s literature impacts children’s attitudes and perceptions of gender appropriate behaviour in society. In this respect, contents with gender stereotypes can offer children a privileged opportunity to re-examine their gender belief and assumptions, leading them to adopt more egalitarian attitudes. Children’s reflections on gender equality in a fairy tale of Ndabaga, a female protagonist portrayed in non-traditional gender roles are analysed. The findings show that children of both sexes reacted positively to the female character, portrayed in male roles, which has been traditionally unacceptable. All children expressed positive attitudes toward a change of traditional gender roles as the latter obstructs full realisation of females’ rights. Key words : children’s literature, fairy tales, gender equality, egalitarian attitudes.

Repercussions of the intrinsic motivation on the determinants relating to the retention of the personnel in the Public Institutions of higher education in Rwanda

This research, realized within the public education institutions, is interested in the implications of the intrinsic motivation, in the meaning of the self-determination theory of Deci and Ryan (1985), on a rough satisfaction on work and an affective organizational commitment which constitutes determining factors for the retention of the employees. Multiple linear regression analyses show that the intrinsic motivation presents significant linear associations with respect to emotional organizational commitment and the job satisfaction and that association is stronger with this latter. With regard to the moderating effects, they prove to be not-significant. On the other hand, the perceived organizational support holds a direct and significant influence on emotional organizational commitment, just as the style of the transformational leadership of the direct or immediate supervisor towards emotional organizational commitment is stronger than that between the intrinsic motivation. Key words : Motivation, Satisfaction, Implication, organizational commitment, transformational Leadership.

Over-age and underserved: a case control study of HIV-affected children and education in Rwanda

ABSTRACTChildren living with and affected by HIV are at risk of poverty and mental health problems that can interfere with educational attainment. This review is a secondary analysis of educational attainment within a case-controlled study of children 10–17 years of age who were HIV-positive, HIV-affected by caregiver HIV status or by HIV in their family and HIV-unaffected in rural Rwanda. We evaluated caregiver and child-reported HIV-related stigma, anxiety/depression, conduct problems and social support and any likely associations with children being overage for their current grade in school. Overall, 90.4% of children were enrolled in school; however, 83.8% were overage for their current grade, with higher rates of overage for grade among HIV-positive and HIV-affected children. Interventions and policies that recognize and promote social support within education to address challenges of conduct problems among youth may help counteract the high rates of grade repetition among children in rural Rwanda.

Conceptualization of competency based curricula in pre-service nursing and midwifery education: A grounded theory approach.

In health professional education, the competency-based curriculum concept has been an important driver of reform in the training of competent graduates for the 21st century. In African countries, although there has been implementing it in pre-service nursing and midwifery education and the literature reports a lack of understanding of what is it on the part of the implementers. This article explores the meaning of competency based curriculum in pre-service nursing and midwifery education in Rwanda. A grounded theory approach, following Corbin and Strauss, was used. Following ethical clearance by the university ethical committee, data was collected from 17 participants through in-depth individual interviews of staff. Four categories emerged: (a) transformation, (b) tool for primary health care philosophy, (c) technological approach to education, (d) and modular system. Competency-based curriculum is confirmed as an appropriate educational tool in producing competent graduates for today and the future.

What curriculum? Which methods? A cluster randomized controlled trial of social and financial education in Rwanda

Life-skills based financial education (LSFE) for young people is one potential intervention for improving the financial capabilities of a population. However, the pedagogical methods for LSFE have rarely been studied. This study represents the first cluster randomized controlled trial to analyze both student outcomes and the observed use of active learning methods (ALMs) by teachers. The study further tested the power of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to explain the outcomes of a LSFE program that contains explicit personal and social components that link to SCT. The study was undertaken by randomizing 50 schools in Rwanda that had been stratified across 5 districts: Huye, Karongi, Nyagatare, Nyanza, and Ruhango. It comprised 250 teachers with a mean age of 31.8 (SD=6.2) and 1750 students with a mean age of 15.0 (SD=2.6). The intervention increased teachers' observed use of ALMs as well as the average time on task of the students observed in class. Students in the treatment group also exhibited increased self-reported active learning environments, general self-efficacy, general financial capability, and self-reported savings behavior. Less robust results indicated the intervention increased students' planning attitudes and decreased their self-reported behavioral and cognitive engagement.

New Digital Technologies: A Kairos for Catholic Education in Rwanda

ABSTRACTWhile the Catholic Church in Rwanda endeavors to revitalize Catholic Education, the Government of Rwanda is trying to leverage the use of digital technologies to raise access, improve the quality, and strengthen the relevance of education and training to the labor market. The purpose of this article is therefore to explore and assess the value and potentially constructive educational benefits offered by digital technologies in Catholic schools. The Catholic Church is one of the key educational development partners of the Government of Rwanda. Approximately 41% of students attend Catholic schools in Rwanda. The article scrutinizes some ethical concerns associated with the emergence of digital technologies in schools. Then it critically analyzes the position of the Catholic Church vis-à-vis digital technologies and sheds some light on their ethical and responsible use in Catholic schools. Consequently, the article suggests some actions that may be undertaken by the Catholic Church in order to assist the youth to make an informed choice among a diverse range of options offered by digital technologies in a way that aligns with the Catholic social teaching and tradition.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR INSTRUCTION AMONG PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS IN NIGERIA AND RWANDA

This study investigated student’s use of different social media tools, their perceptions and attitudes towards these tools, their preference of social media for instructional purpose, and acceptance of social media among, pre-service teachers in Nigeria and Rwanda. This study adopted a comparative survey design, and Nigeria and Rwanda were chosen as sample region through purposive sampling. The population of the study included 487 higher education students of the faculty of education; 246 of them were Nigerians and 241 were Rwandese. They comprised of 212 male and 267 females. The findings of the study revealed that pre-service teachers in both countries have adequate knowledge of different type of social media sites. The findings show that the level of preference of social media site is very high in both countries among the pre-service teachers. Pre-service teachers in both countries are willing to use social media technology to support learning. Pre-service teachers in both countries have a positive attitude towards the use of social media for instruction purposes p<0.05). Also, Facebook was discovered to be the most popular social networking site among them followed by Twitter and Google+. Rwandese pre-service teachers used Skype more than their counterparts in Nigeria. Based on these findings recommendations were made that establishment of educational technology units in the faculties of education in Rwanda, also curricular underlying teacher educational programs should ensure that these knowledge and beliefs are emphasized when designing educational technology courses as well as modifying the content the courses so that student teachers have greater engagement in technology. Nigeria still has a lot to explore in the use of social media for instruction purpose therefore further in-depth studies should be carried out. Article visualizations:

Sibling and gender effects on children’s chance to continue primary education in Rwanda

Rwanda has made a huge effort to arrive at universal primary education, but many children do not qualify to sit the leaving exam before they reach the age of 14. Using the Heckman probit model on data from the Integrated Household Living Conditions Surveys 2000 and 2011, this study explores the school careers of 12,539 children ages 13-17 who had the opportunity to continue primary education. The combination of extreme poverty and having younger siblings or being an orphan or foster child, still leads to very high dropout rates regardless of gender. To improve completion rate for primary education, Rwanda should put more emphasis on disadvantaged children from larger families.

Analyzing Challenges Associated with the Implementation of Community Based Health Insurance (CBHI) in Rwanda

With the aim of achieving the fourth, fifth and sixth Millennium Development goals, since 2000 Rwanda has been striving to put much effort in reinforcing the Community Based Health Insurance scheme (CBHI). The scheme is known to be covering the largest percentage of the poorer population. Its implementation had recorded success from year to year, whereby the trend went from 1% of coverage in 2000 to 91% in 2010. However, the quick recovery of Rwanda and the success in achieving global goal of healthcare for all, there are undocumented facets of health system management that need to be documented (health care standards and poor services offered to people under CBHI policy and the mismanagement of CBHI funds). Through various documentations (local newspapers, researches), this study has addressed the roots of the above healthcare ethical issues and strategies to mitigate the extent of the problem. Firstly, Rwandan education system should train more nurses and doctors in order to increase the number of workforce in Rwandan health system. Secondly, put in place incentive mechanism to retain the existing health professionals and attract the new ones working in rural areas. Thirdly, offering more ethics related training programs to nurses and other health facilities’ staff who deal with patients. Finally, Rwandan government with other key stakeholders should rethink CBHI structure by formalizing relationship between CBHI sections at local level and the national board in charge (RSSB) as a well-structured institution in order to avoid a bizarre and recurring mismanagement of CBHI funds.