My reflections on data collection
“As a peer researcher, I have been able to discover and better understand some of the realities in the teaching field in Nakivale Settlement, especially regarding refugee teachers’ inclusion, wellbeing, and agency.”
My name is Jean Bosco Nkengurutse. I am a Burundian refugee teacher and a Jigsaw peer researcher in Uganda. I fled Burundi and arrived in Uganda in July 2015. Fortunately, in August of the same year I got a teaching job as a teaching assistant and language instructor. This was mainly due to the large influx of refugees from French-speaking countries such as Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Currently, I also work as a peer researcher in Uganda. This has been a very important opportunity for me because the experience I have gained is very valuable. As a peer researcher, I have been able to discover and better understand some of the realities in the teaching field in Nakivale Settlement, especially regarding refugee teachers’ inclusion, wellbeing, and agency.
I was also encouraged by the enthusiasm of the respondents. Many of them willingly came to participate in the research. They were interested in understanding the purpose of the research and how it could benefit them. This made the process very meaningful and enjoyable for me.
However, I also faced some challenges, which are common in this kind of activity. For example, some participants were absent at the last minute, some were not present in the settlement during the festive season, and sometimes the distances were very long.
Some questions were easier for respondents to answer, especially those related to refugee teachers’ wellbeing. These questions are very important and emotional because they touch on the general life conditions of refugee teachers. Other questions, particularly those related to agency, were more difficult for some respondents to answer.
Finally, I learned that this type of research should continue to be conducted regularly. It is important for understanding whether there is progress in the education sector for refugee teachers in different settlements.
This Think Piece is part of a series, featuring 18 refugee teachers from Chad, Uganda and Zambia. You can read the full publication here.
The contributors are peer researchers on a GERE study exploring refugee teacher inclusion, agency, and wellbeing. Read more about the study here.
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. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of IDRC or its Board of Governors.
