Action research to improve youth and adult literacy: Empowering learners in a multilingual world

'The integration of action research in training programmes for youth and adult educators can greatly enhance the quality of youth and adult teaching and learning', says Arne Carlsen, Director of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning.

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), in collaboration with the UNESCO Multi-sectoral Regional Office for West Africa in Abuja, has published a guidebook on how action research can enhance youth and adult literacy education and learning. This guidebook can be used as a resource for training adult educators and implementing participatory and collaborative action research processes.

In order to launch this guidebook and discuss ways in which it can be used, UIL has invited senior staff members of several African, Asian and international training organizations (i.e. higher education institutions and NGOs) to participate in a 3-day workshop from 24–26 March. The specific aims of this workshop are

• to launch the new UNESCO guidebook in the company of the five authors;
• to develop a policy brief on creating an enabling environment for participatory and collaborative action research; and
• to support training institutions that wish to integrate participatory and collaborative action research into their training programmes, curricula and institutional development.

Following the workshop, collaboration between UIL and the various training organizations will continue online and through on-site technical support. Five teacher training institutes and organisations which will pilot the integration of participatory and collaborative research in their curricula will be directly supported by UNESCO in 2015. Five other teacher training institutes and organisations that are interested in applying action research will be invited to join this initiative in 2016. A further five will receive introductory training at sub-regional level in 2017.

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