UIL action research guidelines support training of adult educators in Africa

Action Research to Improve Youth and Adult Literacy, an action research guidebook published by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), is being used to change curricula and develop new training courses for adult educators in Senegal and Uganda. The guidebook, illustrating how participatory action research contributes to youth and adult literacy education and learning, is being integrated into the curricula of various teacher training institutions in both countries with an aim to provide high-quality education services that will improve youth and adult literacy education and learning.

This action research guidebook serves as reference for the course developers, as well as teaching and learning material of the courses themselves. In Senegal, it offers guidance for teacher trainers to help establish a new face-to-face training module for educators and adult literacy facilitators. Upon recognition and validation from the country’s ministry of National Education, this module is expected to be adopted by teacher training institutions on a national scale.

In Uganda, two academic institutions – the Centre for Lifelong Learning of Makerere University and the Department for Adult and Community Education of Kyambogo University – are taking advantage of this action research guidebook to develop courses for specific target groups: the former offers non-academic courses to young people and adults regardless of their education levels, while the latter instructs educators for people with disabilities.

The dissemination and use of this action research guidebook in training courses is realized with technical support of UIL. For more information, please contact uil-lbs@unesco.org.