“If I could share one message with the world, it is this: A refugee is not a burden. We are people with dreams, careers, and voices. Being in this situation does not make us any less human.”
Teaching has been my dream for as long as I can remember. Whenever the opportunity arose, I never hesitated because nothing brings me more joy than sharing knowledge. However, despite my passion and extensive volunteer work, finding a formal teaching job as a refugee has been a difficult journey. Even so, I have never thought about giving up on my dreams.
When I was invited to become a peer researcher, I felt a deep sense of relief. Finally, there was a study focused specifically on the challenges refugee teachers face. This journey has been incredibly fulfilling. It helped me realise how many of us share the same limitations, but it also showed me the different—and often surprising—perspectives national teachers have regarding our inclusion. It made me realise how much work is still needed to change people’s minds.
The highlight of the data collection process was meeting so many different people. They shared their struggles and opinions freely, hoping that their voices might finally lead to change. It is a heavy but beautiful feeling when people look to you as someone who might help improve their situation.
The hardest part was actually finding active refugee teachers. At first, the few I found were hesitant to participate. However, once they understood the nature of the research and its purpose, they became more than happy to open up.
The most profound part of this experience was the chance to redefine key terms based on our own lived experiences. We were able to blend formal definitions with our personal realities, which was a powerful process. Additionally, envisioning a life of a refugee with the participants in a perfect world was exhilarating.
If I could share one message with the world, it is this: A refugee is not a burden. We are people with dreams, careers, and voices. Being in this situation does not make us any less human.
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.
“Listening to a refugee teacher describe how recognition would restore dignity sparked excitement in me to highlight their truths. It made me feel that our experience can inspire change.”
My name is AKITERETSE CLODINA, a refugee teacher living in Nakivale settlement, Uganda. I teach at a primary school and have 8 years of experience. My school is a lively place where children love to learn and we’re passionate about making a difference despite challenges like limited resources.
Clodina presents to her fellow peer researchers during a research training week.
Collecting interview and focus group discussion data was an exciting journey. Wearing the hat of a researcher alongside my identity as a refugee teacher made me eager to hear and highlight our stories. One moment that stands out is when a fellow refugee teacher said “Being heard gives me hope”. This sentence made me realise how important it is to give voice to our experiences. The interviews were different from what I expected because they were inspiring and participants spoke openly about their struggles, which surprised me and showed me the power of honest conversations that flow naturally. I noticed that refugee teachers shared experiences that showed their resilience and strength. And refugee teachers shared more personal experiences than national teachers, showing their unique challenges.
The part I enjoyed most about data collection was hearing stories that energised me. Listening to a refugee teacher describe how recognition would restore dignity sparked excitement in me to highlight their truths. It made me feel that our experience can inspire change. For instance, one participant said being part of research made them feel valued for the first time in years. Moments like these reminded me of the importance of highlighting refugee voices.
This research taught me that listening with empathy unlocks valuable insights. Refugee teachers need recognition and support to thrive. Highlighting our stories can build a more inclusive education community. By giving voice to our experiences, we can challenge stereotypes and create opportunities for collaboration and growth.
Ultimately, it’s about creating spaces where refugee teachers are heard, valued and empowered to contribute to the education systems that work for everyone.
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.
“What struck me most was the teachers’ strong sense of belonging to their schools despite the poor educational environment, low salaries, and psychological pressures they face.”
I am Saddam Adam Rashid, living in eastern Chad, in the Hiba’ province, within the Iridimi refugee settlement. I have been working as a secondary school teacher and a peer researcher since 2023. The school where I work represents a common model for refugee schools; it suffers from an unstable educational environment, weak support for teachers, a lack of training and qualification, in addition to low salaries and low community appreciation for the teacher’s role.
Through my participation in collecting data, conducting interviews, and organising focus groups, I underwent a significant educational and humanitarian experience. I learned how to listen attentively to others’ opinions, respect their different viewpoints, and provide them with a safe space to express their thoughts and experiences. This interaction gave me a feeling of psychological satisfaction and strengthened my interest in research alongside my work in teaching.
Sadam engages with the data collection resources during a research training week.
Initially, I expected that participants would have difficulty understanding the questions or accepting others’ opinions, but what happened was the complete opposite; the participants showed great openness and enthusiasm to participate. Through their answers, it became clear that many of them are under psychological stress due to the social and economic circumstances surrounding them.
The data collection experience was enjoyable and useful, as it gave me greater confidence in my ability to conduct research in various fields. What struck me most was the teachers’ strong sense of belonging to their schools despite the poor educational environment, low salaries, and psychological pressures they face.
However, I faced some challenges, most notably the lack of trust some participants had towards humanitarian organisations. Therefore, before starting any interview or discussion, I made sure to clarify the nature of the Jigsaw’s work and how support is provided, which helped build greater trust and facilitate the collection of information.
This experience confirms my belief that education is the foundation for the renaissance of societies, and that improving the quality of education begins with caring for and supporting the teacher. I also learned that understanding problems requires giving participants enough space to express their opinions and contribute to finding solutions themselves.
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.
“Refugee teachers, like their national counterparts, possess great potential. If empowered, they too can become valuable assets for productivity and progress in the communities that host them.”
My name is Zebron Mwenebatu. When I fled my home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, in 2017, I arrived at Mayukwayukwa Refugee Settlement in Zambia with hope. After several unsuccessful attempts to find employment, a new idea changed everything. I noticed that many young people and adults in the refugee community were unable to access quality education and employment because of language barriers. In response, I started a small center where other youths and I taught English. I believe that in today’s modern world, learning English can improve literacy, employability, and access to education. I have been doing this since 2018, but due to financial challenges in 2024, the school moved online, where only a small number of students continue to attend.
As a refugee taking on the role of researcher, I felt excited to be part of the solution to challenges affecting people in situations like mine. My positionality and background also shaped how I understood participants. For instance, when interviewing an inactive refugee teacher1 who spoke French and Lingala, I could easily understand and translate even the most colloquial expressions because I am a born-and-bred Congolese. Overall, participants responded positively during the different phases of data collection. National teachers and active refugee teachers2 appeared more cooperative and open than inactive teachers, but all participants were willing to share their experiences.
Zebron presents to fellow Peer Researchers during a research training week.
What fascinated me most was the quality of interaction during the sessions and how this contributed to the achievement of the objective. One moment that still stands out is when a Zambian female teacher said, “This interview creates a kind of safe space where I feel free to speak about the stresses of my work—stresses I have not been able to share with anyone at this school for a long time.” This reminded me of the power of meaningful dialogue and reaffirmed the value of the research.
I did not face many significant challenges during data collection. With the skills and materials I gained from PR training, along with my multicultural and contextual knowledge of the community, I worked with minimal obstacles. However, due to the shortage of electricity in the settlement, I once found myself about 20 kilometers in the outback where both my tablet and keypad shut down after seven hours of continuous work. Fortunately, I had carried a manuscript copy of the questionnaire and a notepad, which allowed me to continue my work without major disruption.
I felt particularly confident conducting interviews because of their semi-structured nature. This format allowed me to seek and obtain detailed information while maintaining enough flexibility to naturally bring out deeper insights from participants.
During one interview, an Angolan refugee who had worked at a government school for nearly three years revealed the painful dilemma he faced before resigning. He had to choose between continuing to teach while watching his dependents live in misery, or quitting his job to hustle and provide for them. I found this teacher’s experience deeply moving. It reminded me that sometimes even heroes bear the burden of their own sacrifices for the sake of others.
It took my first semester of serious involvement in research work to realise that research is indeed important in all aspects of life. It helps us uncover what is often unseen and bring hidden truths to light.
From what I have learned so far, I can confidently affirm that refugee teachers, like their national counterparts, possess great potential. If empowered, they too can become valuable assets for productivity and progress in the communities that host them.
Footnotes:
‘Inactive’ teachers are those who have taught in the past (either in the home or host country) but are currently not teaching because they either do not have access to or interest in teaching work in the host country. ↩︎
‘Active’ teachers are those who are currently teaching in informal or formal school settings. ↩︎
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.
“If there is one thing I want readers to take away, it is this: teachers, whether refugee or national, are the foundation of the future. But you cannot build a future on a foundation that is ignored, underpaid, and kept in the dark. We need transparency. We need information. We need to be valued.”
My name is Abraham Bashombana Aganze and I am a refugee teacher living and working in Uganda, in Nakivale refugee settlement. I have been teaching for five years now in my host country.
When I was asked to be a peer researcher for this project on refugee teacher inclusion pathways, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. I didn’t know what I would find by asking my colleagues to open up about their lives.
Honestly, what I found shocked me. It also changed how I see myself, my community, and the system we all navigate as teachers.
Abraham presents to fellow Peer Researchers and other colleagues in Uganda during a research training week.
Right from the start, collecting data was not easy. The research took place during the holidays, and I quickly learned that for many teachers, a “holiday” does not mean resting. Most teachers had left the settlement to look for other jobs of any kind just to survive because many are not paid during holidays. The people I needed to speak with were scattered, working hard in distant places just to put food on the table.
Then, when it was time to organise the Focus Group Discussions, another challenge appeared. Teachers live in different villages, spread far apart. Bringing everyone together in one place required money (money for transport refunds so they could afford to come and share their stories). I had to invest my own resources to make it happen. It was a logistical puzzle, and there were moments I worried we wouldn’t be able to do it at all.
Despite the difficulties, when we finally sat down to talk, the conversations were worth every effort. The biggest eye-opener was this: most refugee teachers have no idea what their rights are. I listened to colleague after colleague describe their struggles, and I realised that nobody had ever told them what they are entitled to. I kept asking myself: Why do stakeholders keep us ignorant? It feels like being left in the dark on purpose. We don’t know where to go for help, who to ask for support, or how to access the services that could fully include us in this country.
Before this research, I carried a heavy feeling that I was the only one who was not satisfied with my life. I thought my frustration was personal, something wrong with me. But sitting across from other refugee teachers, hearing their stories, I realised we are all struggling with the same dissatisfaction. Even more surprising? Some national teachers shared those same feelings. That moment revealed a hard truth: it isn’t just abongaged constructively with questions and suggestions from government representatives, responding with clarity and confidence.
I also learned about the obstacles that keep us stuck. Many refugee teachers told me about trying to get their documents equated, only to wait years for a result. The process is so long, it makes you wonder if corruption is pulling the strings behind the scenes. How else do you explain a system that moves so slowly that it keeps people from working legally in their profession?
Abraham receives a certificate of completion following the end of a research training week.
Even with all these challenges, this experience gave me something invaluable. The training we received as peer researchers has truly empowered me. I gained knowledge and skills that will remain relevant for the rest of my life; not just as a researcher, but as a teacher. I learned how to listen more deeply, how to ask questions that matter, how to solve problems that affected both my students and myself using the research methodologies and skills I learned and and how to see the bigger picture behind individual struggles. That training is a gift I will carry with me forever.
And the benefits keep growing. The gadget I was given to conduct this research, to record interviews and take notes, is now helping me in my classroom every day. I use it to find and prepare materials for my lessons. The skills I learned during the training have also improved my teaching practices. I find myself engaging with my students differently, asking better questions, and really listening to their answers. What started as a research project has made me a better teacher.
I always use the tablet to access French and Kiswahili courses on different online platforms (Alison, YouTube,..). I started using this teaching strategy after realising that many pupils in my secondary school don’t like the above mentioned languages. I had to use the research knowledge and skills I learned during Jigsaw trainings to find out the reasons behind their unjustified abhorrence. After conducting interviews with my learners, I realised that the content in the syllabus book is what scares them since they do lack basic knowledge. This made me look for French and Kiswahili lessons for complete beginners. Now my class is full of pupils who have taken French as an optional subject.
This research has reached deep into my awareness and brought things to light that I never saw before. I thought I was alone in my frustration, but I am part of a crowd. The challenge now is figuring out how we make our voices heard; and how we finally get the information and rights we deserve.
If there is one thing I want readers to take away, it is this: teachers, whether refugee or national, are the foundation of the future. But you cannot build a future on a foundation that is ignored, underpaid, and kept in the dark. We need transparency. We need information. We need to be valued.
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.
In this post, our three Research Advisors (Bello in Chad, Joyce in Uganda, and Abraham in Zambia) share their reflections on the second training week, which took place in late 2025.
The training focused on:
Building on initial project definitions
Strengthening peer researchers’ awareness of research ethics
Analysing findings from the first data collection round
Critiquing and strengthening tools for the next data collection
Practising interviewing and focus group facilitation
Presenting and discussing findings with key refugee education stakeholders
What was your perception of peer researchers’ progress during this training week?
Abraham: During training Peer Researchers (PRs) increased their understanding and everyone participated fully in group work. They asked questions and committed fully to written assignments. Their confidence grew; it was clear that they were presenting findings willingly rather than needing to be convinced.
Bello: One of the most notable developments among the PRs was their increasing ability to actively lead discussions, ask critical questions, and explain research concepts in their own words. During Training 2, I observed that they became more confident in facilitating group work, interpreting tools, and linking research concepts to their lived experiences as refugees. They were also more comfortable collaborating as a team, supporting one another, and providing constructive feedback—something I had not seen so clearly before.
Joyce: The Peer Researchers in Uganda demonstrated notable maturity and progress during the second training session. Compared to the first engagement, participants were more confident and actively contributed to making sense of the findings from the initial round of data collection. They provided valuable contextual insights and engaged constructively with questions and suggestions from government representatives, responding with clarity and confidence.
Peer Researchers in Chad discuss research findings related to teacher professional development and support alongside members of the core GERE team.
How have you developed as a Research Advisor: what did you learn through the process of preparing and supporting the training?
Abraham: I have achieved a lot during my engagement – I have learned and improved during the process. I have learned a lot about good facilitation, planning training, stakeholder engagement, and presenting research findings. Crucially, I have deepened my knowledge and skills in terms of mentoring and managing the PR research team.
Bello: This training contributed greatly to my own professional growth. Preparing and supporting the training helped me strengthen my facilitation skills, adaptability, and ability to explain complex research ideas in simple, accessible ways. Working with PRs from diverse backgrounds reminded me of the importance of patience, cultural sensitivity, and flexibility. I also improved my ability to observe group dynamics and adjust my support based on participants’ needs, rather than following a rigid plan.
Ajak William Bulpresents to his fellow Peer Researchers and members of the GERE core team in Uganda.
What was one highlight from this training for you?
Joyce: Throughout the training, the Peer Researchers consistently sought clarification, supported one another, and participated actively in group work. A key strength of the session was the adequate time allocated for practicing interviews and focus group discussions. This practical exposure helped to significantly reduce the fears and anxieties that participants had expressed earlier in the training.
Bello: One particular highlight of the training was seeing PRs apply what they had learned in practical exercises, especially during group discussions and role plays. Witnessing their confidence grow—especially among those who were previously quiet—was very encouraging. It showed that the training approach was effective and that the PRs were truly owning the process.
Abraham: The group work was one of the most interesting parts. Peer Researchers explored together different tasks relating to wellbeing and agency, which attracted full participation of everyone. It was good to see self reflection from the PRs and watching them thinking about who they are in this project.
Three Peer Researchers in Zambia discuss research findings during Training 2.
What was one important learning point that you took away from this training?
Joyce: The experience underscored the importance of allocating sufficient time for practice and demonstration of data collection methods, and of linking these methods to real school practices to enhance relevance and understanding. In addition, sustained stakeholder engagement throughout the research process will be essential to securing government buy-in and ensuring the uptake and use of research findings.
Abraham: One important learning is that stakeholder mapping involving the Research Advisors needs to be in place from the beginning so that we can engage with stakeholders and build up relationships prior to implementation. Stakeholder engagement should be carried out through existing structures and using the committees in which most of the relevant stakeholders already participate.
Bello: One important learning for us as a team is the value of continuous capacity building combined with practical application. PRs learn best when theory is closely linked to real-life examples and hands-on activities. For future training, we should continue to build in more time for practice, reflection, and peer learning, while also planning additional support for participants who may need it.
This video was prepared for a roundtable debate at the Global Refugee Forum 2025. The participatory roundtable aimed to amplify the lived realities of refugee teachers, elevate their policy-relevant perspectives, take stock of progress and learning, whilst reinforcing the urgent need for sustainable and equitable financing for education and teachers in crisis settings. Our GERE-Research contribution included hearing from our refugee teacher researchers in Chad, Uganda and Zambia, as well as some emerging findings from our research.
The Scaling Refugee Teacher National Inclusion Models for Enhanced Agency and Well-being project is a 33-month research study as part of the GERE research initiative – a partnership between Jigsaw, Refugee Education UK and UNHCR. Running from 2024–2027 in Chad, Uganda, and Zambia, the project explores how refugee teachers can be more effectively included in national education systems in ways that strengthen both their agency and their wellbeing.
Across the three countries, 18 refugee teachers have been recruited as peer researchers. They play a central role in shaping research tools, conducting fieldwork, and bringing critical contextual insights to the study. Through an accredited training programme, they are being equipped not only as researchers but also as reflective, evidence-based practitioners.
The Scaling Refugee Teacher National Inclusion Models for Enhanced Agency and Well-being project is a 33-month research study as part of the GERE research initiative – a partnership between Jigsaw, Refugee Education UK and UNHCR. Running from 2024–2027 in Chad, Uganda, and Zambia, the project explores how refugee teachers can be more effectively included in national education systems in ways that strengthen both their agency and their wellbeing.
Across the three countries, 18 refugee teachers have been recruited as peer researchers. They play a central role in shaping research tools, conducting fieldwork, and bringing critical contextual insights to the study. Through an accredited training programme, they are being equipped not only as researchers but also as reflective, evidence-based practitioners.
The first round of training and data collection is complete in each country. Peer researchers took part in a week-long programme covering core research methods, and then each peer researcher administered 30 teacher surveys in their communities, contributing over 540 responses across the cohort.
At UKFIET 2025, we shared a short video in which peer researchers introduced themselves and reflected on the first phase of the project. They speak about their experiences of teaching in their host countries, and their first steps as researchers in this project. Their contributions were warmly received, and the video was especially appreciated for bringing refugee teacher voices directly into the conference space.
The voices of our peer researchers highlight the potential of refugee teacher researchers to shape more inclusive and equitable education systems.
In this post, we share our key takeaways from the training conducted in Chad, Uganda and Zambia with the team of refugee teacher researchers.
What did we do?
In May and June 2025, research team members from Jigsaw, UNHCR and Refugee Education UK (REUK) worked with teams of refugee teachers (10 in Chad, 13 in Uganda and 13 in Zambia – overall 10 women and 26 men) on a week-long training on core research methods. Six refugee teacher researchers in each country were selected, based on observation and a short interview, to continue as peer researchers to the end of the project in March 2027.
The training covered:
An introduction to the project and research partners. We collaboratively defined key research terms, discussed the purpose and objectives of the project and mapped the refugee education ecosystem in each context.
An introduction to research methods: different approaches to research, the importance of clear research questions and a deep-dive into the research questions for the project. We also looked at action research and the ways research could impact the refugee teachers’ classroom practices.
The importance of research ethics and positionality as a researcher.
A focus on administering surveys in preparation for the first round of data collection including time to practise administering the survey in pairs.
The team of refugee teachers along with staff from Jigsaw, UNHCR, Windle International and Finn Church Aid in Uganda.
Participant feedback
The teacher participants were overall very positive about the training. Specifically, they shared:
1. The content was useful, comprehensible and applicable even outside the context of the research project
They found the training content really useful, particularly the sessions on research ethics, research methods and research objectives. Although the concepts covered were often new to them, they found that facilitators were able to present them in ways that felt easy to understand. One participant positively reflected on the collaborative approach to the training delivery which helped participants make sense of new and complex ideas.
“The facilitators and the participants were able to break complex topics into small chunks for easy understanding. Highly interactive methods were used to deliver the topics.”
Facilitation during the training in Chad.
Participants thought that the topics covered in the training would help them in their work outside of the project as well. One reflected:
“The skills we have got from the training will help us to generate knowledge and solve different problems of life.”
2. Appreciation for group work and participatory approach to training delivery
Many participants reported that working in smaller groups helped them connect with others, one saying “…it was motivating since the facilitators allowed us to feel the training by participating in the groups where we learnt from our friends.”
Group work was said to be “a good opportunity to share ideas and make a strong, thoughtful and reasonable work and reach a better understanding of the concepts presented” as well as “a very helpful way to help even the weakest to understand the topic”.
Participatory activities during the training in Zambia.
The participatory approach enabled participants to feel shared ownership over the content and the larger research project. One teacher highlighted:
“The aspect of us creating our own definitions to the major terms used in the research. It felt like we were making the research feel more personal and relatable.”
Refugee teachers participating in a group discussion during the training in Uganda.
Having energisers and breaks peppered across each day, and the friendly demeanour of the facilitators created a space for the participants to feel comfortable. The participatory approach also helped participants feel heard and ensured maximum engagement:
“The training delivery was very satisfying. The Inclusive, participative and practical teaching methodologies performed by the training team made acquisition of knowledge easy and promoted attention and participation of all.”
3. Well-planned logistics
Participants appreciated the timely payment of per diem and travel allowance, which enabled them to meaningfully participate in the training. Some participants had to travel from a different settlement to the location of the training and they reported on the long travel times required to reach the training location on time.
Participants also appreciated the location of the training, finding it “clean , spacious, ventilated…and a secure space to be trained from”, and enjoyed the use of a projector and visual aids.
Lessons for the next round of training
1. Create space for multi-lingual learning
Participants in Chad hugely appreciated having the training materials translated into Arabic, and delivery in Arabic with interpretation into Sudanese Arabic throughout the training. They said:
“the most positive thing is the use of Arabic language as the first language and the existence of a translator who explain and help us whenever there is something complicated”.
Conversely, participants in Uganda and Zambia, where training was run predominantly in English, reflected that they would’ve benefitted from having translation in at least one other language spoken by a majority of the participants.
2. Build in additional space for travel time
Where the training is not residential, we would have benefitted from additional travel time between refugee teacher researchers’ accommodation and the training venue. In future rounds, training times will be set accordingly.
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!
