A RISE for Educational ResearchÂ
Education researchers have initiated a project that is expected to revolutionise teaching in this region. Officials involved in the Research Initiative for Supporting Education in the Caribbean (RISE Caribbean) said it will immediately impact an estimated 1,500 leaders in education, 10,000 teachers, and 200,000 students in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.
The project, which is being coordinated by the School of Education in the Faculty of Humanities and Education, involves the re-establishment of a research facility within the faculty, with an expanded mandate to inform education planning, policies and practice in the Eastern Caribbean and Barbados.
The new Caribbean Educational Research Centre replaces the Education Evaluation Centre that was dormant for over a decade and will operate from the historic Mutual Building in Bridgetown. Some US$3.6 million in funding is being provided by The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with an additional US$3 million in support provided by The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Another partner, the University of South Florida, is assisting with capacity building through mentorship and training.
Personnel at the Eastern Caribbean Joint Board of Teacher Education will receive training in research that would result in them being part of research teams engaged across the subregion.
During the launch of RISE Caribbean last 15 September, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Cave Hill Campus Professor Clive Landis commended co-authors of the project proposal − Director of the School of Education at Cave Hill Professor S. Joel Warrican, his colleagues Dr. Coreen Leacock and Dr. Verna Knight, along with Associate Professor at the College of Education at the University of South Florida, Dr. Patriann Smith. He added that the proposed areas of research were consistent with the UWI mission.
“As a premier tertiary-level institution in the English-speaking Caribbean, The UWI is a key stakeholder that, through its research, is able to guide the development of education in this region. The acute need for such research was brought into sharp focus in 2020 with the arrival of the unwanted visitor, COVID-19.”
Key areas identified for investigation include the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning, the impact of natural disasters on students’ academic performance and psychological state for learning, the impact of examination practices in the region, and integration of technology in teaching and learning.
Already, research is underway into the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' learning experiences, which the principal investigators say appears to have widened the inequalities in education in the Caribbean and exposed the urgent need to examine the current models of education to make them more equitable and resilient in times of crisis.
Professor Landis said, “Under the RISE Caribbean project, we are now able to use this information to contribute to and inform educational policy and planning in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean with evidence-based solutions. It is well known that COVID-19 has placed international higher education at a crossroads. The RISE Caribbean initiative gives regional context to the global challenges facing schoolchildren due to school closures, the learning gaps, loss of socialisation skills, rising levels of anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges.”
Professor Warrican, who also serves as Chair of the Eastern Caribbean Joint Board of Teacher Education, said the project marked a new phase in the history of education in the subregion.
“RISE Caribbean is the response to the dearth of educational data for research purposes in the subregion. As we look around the education sector in the region, we constantly notice that there are many issues that plague us.”
Professor Warrican said while research was being conducted in education, including by students attending the School of Education, the region was still facing a shortage of skilled educational researchers. He also noted experts recruited from other regions lacked the knowledge and understanding of the Caribbean context, thereby minimising innovative measures implemented by Caribbean educators.
“Under this initiative, we will rise to the need for more researchers and engage in capacity-building activities. Through training and support, teachers, ministry of education personnel, our graduate students in the School of Education, indeed across the campus and the wider university, will have opportunities to sharpen their research skills and [improve] their confidence to share their findings with different audiences.”
“A major outcome is the generation of demand-driven research to meet the needs for research to inform educational planning, policymaking and practice in the region. To ensure that relevant investigations are undertaken, the Regional Research Advisory Committee is being established to ensure issues that are deemed priority are planned and executed expeditiously.”
The United States Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Linda Taglialatela was hopeful that researchers would also explore gaps in education for disadvantaged children, which could result in increased access to quality education that is safe, relevant and promotes the social well-being of vulnerable youth.
“I also look forward to the collaboration among US universities and other regional and national partners to leverage resources, strengthen systems and develop capacity in local institutions.”
In commending The UWI, USAID and the University of South Florida on the partnership, Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Santia Bradshaw welcomed the idea of placing value on findings that are relevant to the Caribbean context and using those findings to develop the best practices within education.
“The linkage that has been forged between USAID and The University of the West Indies can play a significant role in the development of education in Barbados and, indeed, the region.”
“At this time, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a functioning educational research centre with an interdisciplinary research focus that supports decision making and policy development for educational innovation is indeed welcomed.”
Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States His Excellency Dr. Didacus Jules spoke glowingly about the RISE Caribbean project and noted that education in the subregion has made major strides, including collaboration among regional states.
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