In this paper, Dr Robbie Hart and Dr Jean-Francois Trani take an inclusive and equitable quality education approach defined by universal access whatever the abilities and characteristics of the child and above all their participation in the learning process. This study investigates how participatory methods allow to shift away from a right to education towards a right to quality and equity in learning for all children, including the most disadvantaged students, namely children with disabilities, children in remote rural areas and from poor families, girls and ethnic minorities who have lower enrolment rates, higher rates of repetition and drop out before completion, and lower academic achievement. They identified common factors that influence effective learning using a transdisciplinary approach associating community based system dynamics and an ecological approach. In brief,
- They first identified key causal loop diagrams components and existing causal feedback loops by which components of the system are either reinforced or balanced.
- They then used ecological methods to quantitatively test similarities or differences in the systems expressed by stakeholders of differing roles in the education system (students, teachers, parents, and school management committees’ members), geographical contexts, wealth, and at two time periods (before and after an intervention decided by consensus in each school).
They found a common structure of education. Even across wide differences in participants’ situations and roles in the educational process, their models expressed a common reinforcing feedback loop which connected child inclusive and equitable quality education to two other components: 1) child engagement in and motivation for education, and 2) child attendance. Increases in any of these three components were perceived to drive increases in the others.
Here is the link to the article: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0290456