Reflections from scoping visits in Chad, Uganda and Zambia
By Jigsaw
In this post, we share our key takeaways from inspiring scoping visits to Uganda, Zambia and Chad, providing a foundation for the research approach.
More information on the study objectives and approaches can be found in our previous blog post.
What happened?
In January and February 2025, research team members from Jigsaw, UNHCR and Refugee Education UK (REUK) were inspired by visits to Chad, Uganda and Zambia that will shape the rest of the project. They were an essential part of study preparation, helping to ensure that the research process and outcomes are of maximum relevance to teachers who are refugees, and those supporting them in the education ecosystem.
What were the objectives?
- Establish and develop relationships with key stakeholders at the national and subnational levels;
- Meet with refugee teachers to understand their perceptions and priorities, which will shape the research design;
- Gauge refugee teachers’ interest in participating in the study;
- Understand contextual challenges and test the feasibility of planning with those who know the contexts best.
How did we achieve them?
Most importantly, in each country the team spent several hours with groups of refugee teachers, talking to them about the study, their understanding of research, inclusion, well-being and agency, and their opinions about our plans for the study. We also spoke with other education stakeholders, including Education Ministry officials, NGO and teacher union representatives and teacher training institutions.
What did we learn?
1. Teachers have clear ideas about research, ‘well-being’ and ‘agency’
Teachers’ understanding of research covered areas such as: looking for knowledge, solutions, and new ideas; thinking through what to teach students; and making use of the available data, as lessons can be improved using research.
Ideas for the meaning of well-being included: having enough, ideas, physical health, happiness, dreams; swimming in the sea; being honoured or validated; and being able to do what you want.
Agency was defined as: being able to make decisions to change things when work is not good; and not being forced to do anything.
2. All stakeholders are enthusiastic about the study.
Refugee teachers see the opportunity to participate in training on research methods and conduct their own research as a valuable way to share their experiences and views and to develop their skills inside and outside the classroom. Stakeholders within ministries, teacher unions, NGOs and other institutions are excited about the potential to understand better how to support refugee teachers, and to improve the education system for all teachers. to.
3. It is more helpful to conceptualise inclusion as a series of ‘pathways’ than as ‘models’.
In all three contexts, it became clear that there is no one model for including refugee teachers within national education systems. There are a number of pathways, some more accessible than others, that enable refugees to attain different levels of inclusion as teachers. We decided to use the term ‘pathways’ rather than ‘models’ to describe the options available to refugee teachers. The articulation of these pathways through the research will be the starting point for exploring how they may be scaled in ways that enhance teacher well-being and agency.
4. Issues affecting refugee teachers often also affect host community teachers, with implications for their well-being and agency.
Issues such as large class sizes and limited resources affect national teachers and refugee teachers alike. Stakeholders emphasised the importance of including national teachers in the study. The inclusion of host community teachers will help identify issues that need to be addressed for all teachers, alongside those that are specific to the situations of teachers who are refugees.
5. In Chad, bilingual training delivery will be essential.
Navigating language emerged as a priority for the project in Chad. On UNHCR advice, the study will focus on settlements hosting refugees from Sudan, in an area of the country where the bilingual education system offers instruction in Arabic or French. Schools for Sudanese refugees operate in Arabic, and although some refugees speak English, there is no need for it as a teacher in Chad. Training in Chad will be conducted principally in Arabic through an Arabic-speaking Research Advisor with the support of a French-speaking Jigsaw trainer and an interpreter into Sudanese Arabic. Materials will be provided to teachers in Arabic and English, and to education authorities in French.
6. Education ministry representatives will lead national advisory group meetings.
Ministry representatives in each country demonstrated their commitment to the project by volunteering their leadership of national advisory groups, with the support of UNHCR and Jigsaw. These groups will provide a critical platform for the refugee teacher researchers to engage with other stakeholders to sense-check findings, advise on project processes and mobilise new knowledge.
Next steps?
Based on the rich learning from these visits the research teams has designed a process for recruiting refugee teacher researchers. The first research methods training week will precede the launch of data collection. Look out for our next blog to hear about the next steps on this exciting journey!
Funding
This work is supported by the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange, a joint endeavour with the International Development Research Centre, Canada.
