Misty Sailors The University of Texas at San Antonio James V. Hoffman The University of Texas at Austin P. David Pearson University of California - Berkeley

Community Mobilization:

Support for the Implementation of a

Complementary Reading Program

Misty SailorsThe University of Texas at San Antonio

James V. HoffmanThe University of Texas at Austin

P. David PearsonUniversity of California - Berkeley

Madalo Samati Center for Creative Community Mobilization

Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Dallas, Texas

To explore the role of the community in the implementation of a large-scale, complementary reading program.

Purpose of study

Read MalawiAssist the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in addressing one of its priorities– to instill a culture of reading into its public schools

Designed, developed and printed over 5,200,000 books and teacher’s guides

• Implemented in over 1,200 educational sites

• Reached 8,000 teachers and 700,000 young children

Research Questions• What seem to be the most prevalent ways that communities in

Malawi mobilize around their schools during a reading intervention?

• Are teachers’ attitudes and perceptions of their community associated with implementation levels of community mobilization?

• Are head teachers’ attitudes and perceptions of their community associated with implementation levels of community mobilization?

• What specific aspects of community mobilization can be attributed to the improvement in instructional reading practices of classroom teachers?

• What impact does community mobilization have on the improvement of reading achievement of learners in grades 1, 2 and 3 in those communities?

South Africa

Namibia Botswana

Zimbabwe

Mozambique

Madagascar

MalawiZambia

Angola

Tanzania

DemocraticRepublic of

Congo

KenyaUganda

Burundi

Rwanda

Gabon

Rep. of Congo

SomaliaEthiopia

Sudan

Central AfricanRepublic

Cameroon

Nigeria

ChadNiger

Egypt

LibyaAlgeria

Tunisia

Morocco

WesternSahara

MauritaniaMali

BurkinaFaso

Côte D'IvoireLiberia

Sierra Leone

Guinea-Bissau

Guinea

The GambiaSenegal

Malawi

Primary education (infant phase)

• Entry age = 6 years• Grades 1-3• National primary

curriculum• Core textbooks

• Large class sizes (80:1)• Lack of resources• Free, but not compulsory

Challenges!

Community participation

(Rose, 2003)

• Genuine participation is voluntary and spontaneous.

• Pseudo-participation is (at best) a consultative process. The community is kept informed of <school> developments and are expected to accept decisions that have already been made (“sold” and “told”).

Participation:

Implies the ability to take part in the governance and decision making processes <of a school>.

All members have “equal power to determine the outcome of decisions and share in a joint activity” (p. 47).

Objective of partnership with CRECCOM

• Strengthen community involvement and participation towards promotion of a reading culture

• Served 52 schools• Reached over 393,000 community members• Created over 1,700 Community-based Reading Centers

(served over 72,000 young children)

Methods

• Data sources:– Community mobilization implementation rubric– Teacher questionnaire– Head Teacher questionnaire– Student assessment

What seem to be the most prevalent ways that communities in Malawi mobilize around their schools during a reading intervention?

• Theater for Development

• Change Agent Training• Mother Groups• Reading Centers• Volunteer Readers• School Tracking

Initiative• Role Models

Community Based Interventions: Open Days

• Celebratory• Accountability• Competitions

Success Stories: Taking it and Running with It!

• Open Day Celebrations• Adult Literacy Centers• Bookshelves

Are teachers’ attitudes and perceptions of their community associated with implementation levels of community mobilization?

• Survey questions:– (#43) There is a strong culture of reading in the

community in which I teach.– (#44) Parents in my community support their

children in reading at home. – (#45) Parents of children in this school read often

and widely.– (Collapsed variable: Community)-- Row means of

reading_culture, homesupport, and parentsread

Table 1: reading culture

survey question: (#43) There is a strong culture of reading in the community in which I teach.

1. Strongly Disagree, 2. Disagree, 3. Agree, 4. Strongly Agree

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

IMPROVE LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT OF GIRLS

COMMUNITY MOBILISED TOWARDS SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION IN SCHOOLS

SCHOOLS STRENGTHENED THROUGH COMMUNITY MOBILISATION

FUNCTIONALITY OF MOTHER GROUP

FUNCTIONALITY OF SMC/PTA

FUNCTIONALITY OF VILLAGE HEAD

2.Reading Culture 0.05 0.05 -0.03 0.08 -0.12 -0.12

(0.13) (0.12) (0.10) (0.15) (0.18) (0.18)

3.Reading Culture -0.05 0.10 -0.06 0.09 -0.11 -0.11

(0.12) (0.12) (0.10) (0.16) (0.17) (0.17)

4.Reading Culture 0.06 0.21 0.11 0.41* 0.06 0.06

(0.15) (0.14) (0.13) (0.19) (0.19) (0.19)

1b.standard 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

(.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.)

2.standard -0.04 -0.04 -0.01 -0.00 -0.05 -0.05

(0.10) (0.08) (0.09) (0.12) (0.11) (0.11)

3.standard -0.08 -0.04 0.03 -0.07 -0.02 -0.02

(0.10) (0.08) (0.09) (0.12) (0.12) (0.12)

Constant 0.70*** 0.70*** 0.61*** 0.84*** 0.96*** 0.96***

(0.12) (0.11) (0.10) (0.15) (0.16) (0.16)

Observations 138 136 138 136 133 133

R-squared 0.015 0.022 0.016 0.038 0.015 0.015

Standard errors in parentheses

="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"

1b.Home support

survey question: (#44) Parents in my community support their children in reading at home.


(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)







2.Home support -0.15 -0.15 -0.07 -0.09 -0.18 -0.18

(0.16) (0.13) (0.13) (0.15) (0.19) (0.19)

3.Home support -0.28* -0.17 -0.12 -0.10 -0.02 -0.02

(0.14) (0.13) (0.12) (0.14) (0.17) (0.17)

4.Home support -0.12 0.02 0.09 0.21 0.06 0.06

(0.17) (0.14) (0.14) (0.20) (0.20) (0.20)

1b.standard 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

(.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.)

2.standard -0.04 -0.04 -0.00 -0.00 -0.05 -0.05

(0.10) (0.08) (0.09) (0.12) (0.11) (0.11)

3.standard -0.07 -0.02 0.04 -0.01 -0.01 -0.01

(0.10) (0.08) (0.09) (0.13) (0.12) (0.12)

Constant 0.91*** 0.91*** 0.66*** 1.01*** 0.93*** 0.93***

(0.14) (0.13) (0.12) (0.15) (0.17) (0.17)

Observations 139 137 139 137 134 134

R-squared 0.040 0.033 0.028 0.027 0.022 0.022


="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"

1b.Parents Read

survey question: (#45) Parents of children in this school read often and widely.


(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)







2.Parents Read 0.13 0.05 0.09 0.18 -0.06 -0.06

(0.15) (0.12) (0.10) (0.14) (0.16) (0.16)

3.Parents Read -0.01 -0.04 -0.03 0.05 -0.12 -0.12

(0.15) (0.12) (0.10) (0.15) (0.17) (0.17)

4.Parents Read -0.03 0.18 0.13 0.18 0.18 0.18

(0.23) (0.18) (0.18) (0.27) (0.17) (0.17)

1b.standard 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

(.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.)

2.standard -0.06 -0.08 -0.04 -0.04 -0.08 -0.08

(0.10) (0.08) (0.09) (0.12) (0.12) (0.12)

3.standard -0.08 -0.05 0.01 -0.07 -0.03 -0.03

(0.10) (0.08) (0.09) (0.12) (0.12) (0.12)

Constant 0.66*** 0.78*** 0.57*** 0.86*** 0.96*** 0.96***

(0.14) (0.12) (0.10) (0.14) (0.16) (0.16)

Observations 139 137 139 137 134 134

R-squared 0.026 0.024 0.021 0.014 0.014 0.014


="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"

COMMUNITYRow means of reading_culture, homesupport, and parentsread

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)







"COMMUNITY" -0.06 0.03 0.00 0.08 0.04 0.04

(0.06) (0.05) (0.05) (0.07) (0.07) (0.07)

1b.standard 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

(.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.)

2.standard -0.05 -0.04 -0.01 0.00 -0.05 -0.05

(0.10) (0.08) (0.09) (0.12) (0.11) (0.11)

3.standard -0.07 -0.03 0.03 -0.03 -0.02 -0.02

(0.10) (0.08) (0.09) (0.12) (0.12) (0.12)

Constant 0.85*** 0.70*** 0.58*** 0.76*** 0.78*** 0.78***

(0.17) (0.15) (0.15) (0.20) (0.19) (0.19)

Observations 139 137 139 137 134 134

R-squared 0.010 0.005 0.001 0.008 0.003 0.003


="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"

Are head teachers’ attitudes and perceptions of their community associated with implementation levels of community mobilization?

• Survey questions:– Estimate the highest level of education completed

by most adult members of the community– Area of need: Involving the community in

supporting the school…– To what extent is lack of cooperation from the

community a problem in your school?– Area of need: Motivating teachers– Area of need: using locally available materials to

support learning

Table 3: community education

Survey question: Estimate the highest level of education completed by most adult members of the community

1. completed secondary or higher, 2. completed primary, 3. attended some primary school but did not completed, 4. did not attend primary school at all

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)







2.community education level 0.22 0.21 -0.10 0.54 0.58 0.58

(0.36) (0.25) (0.29) (0.37) (0.29) (0.29)

3.community education level 0.39 0.48* 0.15 0.52 0.53* 0.53*

(0.31) (0.22) (0.25) (0.32) (0.25) (0.25)

Constant 0.34 0.36 0.51* 0.38 0.25 0.25

(0.28) (0.20) (0.23) (0.29) (0.23) (0.23)

Observations 29 29 28 29 28 28

R-squared 0.062 0.188 0.057 0.099 0.164 0.164


="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"

Table 4: need community support

area of need: Involving the community in supporting the school:

1. No help needed, 2. Some help needed, 3. Most help needed

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)







2.community needs support -0.29 -0.19 0.07 -0.17 -0.15 -0.15

(0.39) (0.29) (0.32) (0.41) (0.34) (0.34)

3.community needs support -0.04 0.04 0.03 -0.03 -0.03 -0.03

(0.32) (0.24) (0.26) (0.34) (0.28) (0.28)

Constant 0.70* 0.72** 0.54* 0.88** 0.75** 0.75**

(0.29) (0.22) (0.24) (0.31) (0.25) (0.25)


R-squared 0.031 0.040 0.002 0.010 0.011 0.011


="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"

Table X: lack cooperation

To what extent is lack of co-operation from the community a problem in your school?

1. Not a problem, 2. A minor problem, 3. A major problem

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)




FUNCTIONALITY OF MOTHER GROUP FUNCTIONALITY OF SMC/PTA


1b.lack_cooperation 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

(.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.)

2.lack_cooperation 0.13 0.03 -0.02 0.18 0.10 -0.15

(0.22) (0.16) (0.18) (0.23) (0.22) (0.19)

Constant 0.55** 0.73*** 0.61*** 0.73*** 0.73*** 0.80***

(0.17) (0.13) (0.14) (0.18) (0.17) (0.15)


R-squared 0.014 0.002 0.001 0.024 0.007 0.024


="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"

Table X: teachers need motivation

area of need: Motivating teachers:


(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)






1b.need_motivation_teachers 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

(.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.)

2.need_motivation_teachers 0.33 -0.03 -0.29 -0.20 -0.20 -0.20

(0.62) (0.48) (0.51) (0.67) (0.63) (0.54)

3.need_motivation_teachers 0.51 -0.16 -0.10 -0.17 -0.22 -0.32

(0.58) (0.44) (0.47) (0.62) (0.59) (0.50)

Constant 0.18 0.86 0.71 1.00 1.00 1.00

(0.57) (0.43) (0.46) (0.61) (0.58) (0.49)


R-squared 0.040 0.017 0.028 0.003 0.005 0.023


="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"

Table X: materials are needed

area of need: using locally available materials to support learning:


(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)






1b.need_materials 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

(.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.)

2.need_materials -0.30 0.17 0.12 -0.35 -0.02 0.17

(0.26) (0.21) (0.23) (0.29) (0.28) (0.24)

3.need_materials 0.15 0.10 0.24 -0.23 0.18 0.13

(0.30) (0.25) (0.27) (0.33) (0.32) (0.28)

Constant 0.79** 0.61** 0.48* 1.08*** 0.75** 0.58**

(0.22) (0.18) (0.19) (0.24) (0.24) (0.20)


R-squared 0.131 0.024 0.031 0.055 0.022 0.019


="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"

What specific aspects of community mobilization can be attributed to the improvement in instructional reading practices of classroom teachers?

• OBJECTIVE 1: improve literacy achievement of girls improved

• OBJECTIVE 2: community mobilized towards successful implementation in schools

• OBJECTIVE 3: schools strengthened through community mobilization

• Functionality of mother group• Functionality of SMC/PTA• Functionality of village head

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)

EYES_posttest HANDS_posttest WRITING_posttest DISPOSITIONAL_posttest TEXT_VARIETY_posttest CURRICULAR_posttest ACTIVE_TEACHING_posttest

EYES_1pretest -0.18(0.13)

IMPROVE LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT OF GIRLS 1.06 8.82 -1.56 -0.04 0.20 0.29 -0.07

(6.25) (7.14) (4.34) (0.21) (0.22) (0.20) (0.36)

1b.standard 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00(.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.)

2.standard 10.60 -3.40 -0.21 0.14 0.16 0.04 0.54*(9.83) (10.61) (6.11) (0.18) (0.24) (0.20) (0.26)

3.standard 15.49 7.57 -0.24 0.06 -0.05 0.24 0.20(10.68) (12.86) (5.67) (0.18) (0.19) (0.19) (0.37)

HANDS_1pretest -0.10(0.19)

WRITING_1pretest -0.03(0.14)

DISPOSITIONAL_1pretest 0.01(0.14)

TEXT_VARIETY_1pretest -0.03(0.14)

CURRICULAR_1pretest 0.07(0.19)

ACTIVE_TEACHING_1pretest -0.06(0.16)

Constant 80.37*** 39.87*** 8.18 3.14*** 2.35*** 2.45** -0.28(7.64) (7.14) (4.96) (0.50) (0.40) (0.67) (0.35)

Observations 46 46 46 46 46 46 46

Standard errors in parentheses="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)


EYES_1pretest -0.18

(0.14)

COMMUNITY MOBILISED TOWARDS SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION IN SCHOOLS 5.96 7.74 0.73 0.25 0.36 0.56 0.70

(12.06) (12.33) (5.73) (0.33) (0.32) (0.39) (0.65)

1b.standard 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

(.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.)

2.standard 9.98 -1.93 -0.87 0.09 0.19 0.05 0.41

(10.13) (10.56) (5.98) (0.16) (0.22) (0.18) (0.26)

3.standard 14.98 8.32 -0.59 0.03 -0.06 0.22 0.12

(11.22) (13.51) (5.61) (0.19) (0.18) (0.20) (0.37)

HANDS_1pretest -0.11

(0.19)

WRITING_1pretest -0.02

(0.13)

DISPOSITIONAL_1pretest 0.02

(0.13)

TEXT_VARIETY_1pretest -0.08

(0.14)

CURRICULAR_1pretest 0.04

(0.17)

ACTIVE_TEACHING_1pretest -0.04

(0.15)

Constant 76.44*** 37.99** 6.94 2.90*** 2.29*** 2.25** -0.80

(10.13) (10.11) (5.51) (0.49) (0.41) (0.63) (0.59)

Observations 46 46 46 46 46 46 46


="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"


EYES_1pretest -0.18

(0.14)

SCHOOLS STRENGTHENED THROUGH COMMUNITY MOBILISATION 0.71 -7.03 4.02 0.29* 0.08 0.31* 0.63

(8.42) (6.67) (8.37) (0.13) (0.21) (0.15) (0.46)

1b.standard 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

(.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.)

2.standard 10.98 -1.35 -0.88 0.14 0.23 0.13 0.51

(10.51) (10.27) (6.04) (0.15) (0.22) (0.19) (0.27)

3.standard 15.59 9.70 -1.26 0.02 -0.03 0.23 0.11

(11.33) (13.17) (5.07) (0.18) (0.19) (0.20) (0.36)


(0.20)

WRITING_1pretest 0.00

(0.11)


(0.12)


(0.14)


(0.18)

ACTIVE_TEACHING_1pretest 0.03

(0.15)

Constant 80.36*** 48.00*** 4.60 2.72*** 2.40*** 2.21** -0.68

(8.50) (8.12) (7.08) (0.41) (0.42) (0.63) (0.40)

Observations 46 46 46 46 46 46 46


="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"


EYES_1pretest -0.18

(0.14)

FUNCTIONALITY OF MOTHER GROUP 1.67 -1.83 2.65 0.09 0.28 0.32 0.27

(5.97) (6.62) (3.86) (0.16) (0.16) (0.16) (0.32)

1b.standard 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

(.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.)

2.standard 10.36 -0.10 -2.14 0.09 0.12 0.00 0.41

(9.93) (10.51) (5.88) (0.18) (0.22) (0.19) (0.28)

3.standard 15.34 9.63 -1.37 0.04 -0.08 0.20 0.13

(10.95) (13.19) (5.03) (0.19) (0.18) (0.20) (0.38)


(0.20)


(0.14)


(0.14)


(0.13)


(0.19)


(0.14)

Constant 79.52*** 45.11*** 5.09 2.96*** 2.23*** 2.27** -0.50

(8.17) (8.59) (6.12) (0.53) (0.37) (0.66) (0.41)

Observations 46 46 46 46 46 46 46


="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)

FUNCTIONALITY OF SMC/PTA EYES_posttest HANDS_posttest WRITING_posttest DISPOSITIONAL_posttest TEXT_VARIETY_posttest CURRICULAR_posttest ACTIVE_TEACHING_posttest


EYES_1pretest -0.17

(0.14)

FUNCTIONALITY OF SMC/PTA -5.49 -9.73 -5.27 -0.14 0.25 0.12 -0.30

(7.53) (7.45) (5.01) (0.09) (0.22) (0.14) (0.20)

1b.standard 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

(.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.)

2.standard 11.05 0.07 0.22 0.15 0.20 0.12 0.55

(10.33) (9.86) (5.82) (0.15) (0.22) (0.19) (0.27)

3.standard 15.74 10.23 0.27 0.07 -0.04 0.27 0.21

(11.27) (12.94) (5.13) (0.18) (0.17) (0.19) (0.38)


(0.20)

WRITING_1pretest -0.06

(0.15)

DISPOSITIONAL_1pretest -0.03

(0.13)


(0.12)


(0.20)


(0.16)

Constant 85.69*** 52.90*** 12.80 3.35*** 2.22*** 2.51*** -0.03

(9.42) (8.94) (7.95) (0.45) (0.42) (0.64) (0.29)

Observations 46 46 46 46 46 46 46


="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)


EYES_1pretest -0.20

(0.15)

FUNCTIONALITY OF VILLAGE HEAD -1.54 -3.63 -1.33 -0.44* -0.12 -0.38 -0.78*

(5.10) (7.45) (4.71) (0.17) (0.21) (0.18) (0.33)

1b.standard 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

(.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.) (.)

2.standard 13.22 4.14 -2.15 0.09 0.20 0.09 0.36

(10.91) (9.86) (7.52) (0.17) (0.21) (0.17) (0.29)

3.standard 19.23 18.17 -0.95 0.11 -0.03 0.34 0.23

(11.98) (10.85) (6.25) (0.18) (0.20) (0.19) (0.40)


(0.18)


(0.16)

DISPOSITIONAL_1pretest -0.11

(0.15)


(0.15)


(0.19)


(0.15)

Constant 81.59*** 44.52*** 9.14 3.93*** 2.53*** 2.96*** 0.53

(10.34) (10.51) (7.52) (0.66) (0.41) (0.65) (0.43)

Observations 44 44 44 44 44 44 44


="* p<0.05 ** p<0.01 *** p<0.001"

What impact does community mobilization have on the improvement of reading achievement of learners in grades 1, 2 and 3 in those communities?

• No measurable impact, however lots and lots of anecdotal evidence (e.g. Sailors, Hoffman, Wilson, Villarreal, Peterson & Chilora, 2013)

Discussion

• Communities implement!• Communities implement because they want

what is best for their children!• Why did we not have stronger findings related

to community?– Sensitivity of instrumentation?– More time for implementation?– More funding to strengthen the implementation?

Documents

Misty Sailors The University of Texas at San Antonio James V. Hoffman The University of Texas at Austin P. David Pearson University of California - Berkeley