Task 2 : Research Design Ideas
As per my proposed project, there have to be a variety of research methods as the project itself is not limited to answering one isolated question but to addressing many evils of society using one tool i.e. education.
Hence, it is first and foremost descriptive research design because we must first determine the availability or the lack thereof in each district and the number of schoolage children from a lower socioeconomic background who are and aren’t in school to determine where there is the most need for such a project, the data analysis at this stage will answer many of the questions such as what are the demographic characteristics of each region, how many children are out of school, and what percentage in comparison to available schools, what percentage of those children are female, or how many belong to a religious or ethnic minority. In the same vein it would be pertinent to have some qualitative data based on interviews, as well as quantitave data pertaining to forced conversions, religious hate crimes, number of places of worship and such details in order to gauge the risk factor for radicalisation of that certain region. For this first part of the research observation, case studies, statistical data, surveys and media archives can be a good place to start.
Once a suitable region is identified along with its problems and predominant family structure, occupations, religious beliefs, the second part comes into play where ethnographic research; one on one interviews, case studies and observation take the front seat as the families in that region are asked their problems, how they can be helped, what incentives may be provided in order to persuade them to keep their daughters and sons in school. I do not suggest surveys as I am familiar with the culture prevalent in such areas and since most of them are illiterate the written word is viewed with skepticism. Alongside this process a plan of action and particularly finances must be drawn up, so that at the next stage the idea can be pitched to partners and other NGO welfare organisations for funding. The plan of action itself will innvolve market research, legal research, the logistics and everyday requirements and through grounded theory the philosophical component, as to what education may be imparted in order to reverse radicalisation and dogmatism.
The main questions the initial research will attempt to answer is :
- How many schools are there in the selected districts?
- How many school aged children excluding those partaking in private education are there in aforementioned districts?
- How many of them are in school?
- How many of them are male and how many female and how many are LGBTQ?
- How many of them belong to a religious minority?
- How many of them belong to an ethnic minority?
- How many forced conversions and cases of religious violence have been registered in the last year?
- What is the average income?
- How many children does each household have on average?
- Which district is at highest risk?
All secondary research would be based on the answers to this question, wherein our most pressing question would become the incentivization plan to keep children in school while providing a school which allows parents some form of socioeconomic stability in perhaps the form of creating employment or helping them improve their skills and qualifications enabling them to find employment elsewhere. Because the idea is not of limiting education to a school, but to life long learning and the uplift of the whole society, embracing education and self development in all forms.
Hi, this is Meiko(May), your blogging partner for task 3. I was so impressed by your ambitious and meaningful project. It would be so great if I could get a chance to listen to your story and plans more.
The brief summary of your project:
Zainab’s project goal is to establish a non-profit school in Pakistan with the great mission of making knowledge and learning accessible to all. The school will especially encourage people of lower socioeconomic status, such as women, non-Muslims, and refugees, to improve their social mobility. The long-term goal is turning back the tide of radical religion, promoting a new mindset, restoring the economy, and benefitting the greater community. In other words, the project is a part of third-world reform focused on social justice achieved via education, creating a different future narrative.
The success of this project depends on a deep understanding of crucial issues that cause social conflicts and strategies for carrying out the project in a conservative country. Practically, the project will start by identifying an area with a strong need for education through quantitative and qualitative investigation/analysis. Then, it will move on to making an action plan, including practical and philosophical aspects from funding to the class curriculum. As well as this plan-making, a search for partners/organisations willing to fund this project will be carried out.
My question to your project:
If everything progresses well, what will your school look like one year after its establishment?
(school curriculum, funds being raised, partners you are working with, number of students/teachers, area where the school is established, relationships with the student’s parents and surrounding community, assuming comments received from students and parents about the school, etc.)
Although I can imagine numerous difficulties in implementing your project, I am curious what it will look like if you adopt the speculative method, which I knew in Jen’s class. Also, I thought it might help your project follow the trajectories of existing non-profit schools with partner organisations in Pakistan or other countries.
Hiiii! Thanks so much for your kind comment <3 – I will respond to it in detail at the earliest possible!
So this is in response to your question, and it is quite a difficult question to answer given the fact that this is a project that has just been conceived and not brought into the practical realm yet and the way it shall come about, will greatly influence the trajectory it will take, so the area, the partners, the specific philosophy or curriculum chosen. If everything progresses well is again another question where the word “well” itself can mean a number of things, and perhaps quite a few ways that the school could go could all fall under the category of “well”. So hypothetically, in one of these trajectories how it may look like a year on from its conception could be a curriculum – and again here I am not yet quite decided, mind you – that not only combines modern skills like data literacy with a traditional classical western education involving English, and syllabi that would enable them to succeed in the new global world but an emphasis on their own cultural values and national identity, as for funds I hope to not have to rely on partners anymore by then and generate more funds by having attracted an elite class of society who can afford to pay well for a world class education and that can cover our operating costs as well as the costs of educating the students from lower socio-economic backgrounds – yes a little bit of commercialisation and capitalism for the greater good – I do believe that can be executed because currently the mafia of private schools in Pakistan charge a fortune and provide schooling that one could get for free in a good state school in the West, so if I were truly able to deliver a world class education through this school I am sure there would be many high profile customers, with the right marketing of course. I would like to keep class sizes small so that quality can be maintained and hence a student body of a few thousands is something possible with an equally small staff, as I wish to hire highly skilled teachers who may require new training in order to teach at this particular school so acquiring teach staff will be a challenge. The area I believe could be my hometown as it is a place I am quite familiar with and it has its fair share of poverty and misery. Hopefully the comments and relationships within the community is positive and gives people pride in being a part of this community and a sense of self/personhood, hope of breaking the vicious cycle of poverty.
I made a comment a few minutes ago, but I’m unsure if I could. So just in case, I leave my comment again.
Summary:
Zainab’s project goal is to establish a non-profit school in Pakistan with the great mission of making knowledge and learning accessible to all. The school will especially encourage people of lower socioeconomic status, such as women, non-Muslims, and refugees, to improve their social mobility. The long-term goal is turning back the tide of radical religion, promoting a new mindset, restoring the economy, and benefitting the greater community. In other words, the project is a part of third-world reform focused on social justice achieved via education, creating a different future narrative.
The success of this project depends on a deep understanding of crucial issues that cause social conflicts and strategies for carrying out the project in a conservative country.
Practically, the project will start by identifying an area with a strong need for education through quantitative and qualitative investigation/analysis. Then, it will move on to making an action plan, including practical and philosophical aspects from funding to the class curriculum. As well as this plan-making, a search for partners/organisations willing to fund this project will be carried out.
Question:
If everything progresses well, what will your school look like one year after its establishment?
(school curriculum, funds being raised, partners you are working with, number of students/teachers, area where the school is established, relationships with the student’s parents and surrounding community, assuming comments received from students and parents about the school, etc.)