Evaluation of the Transformative Potential of Positive Gender Socialization in Education for Peacebuilding, UNICEF and AIR, 2016
UNICEF commissioned American Institutes for Research (AIR) to conduct an evaluation of the Karamoja, Uganda, pilot of the programme Gender Socialization in Schools: Enhancing the transformative power of education for peacebuilding. Supported by UNICEF and the Ugandan Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Sports, the programme aimed to trial a practical, school-based intervention to demonstrate the peacebuilding potential of positive gender socialization in the conflict-affected Karamoja region of north-eastern Uganda.
To evaluate the programme, AIR used a mixed-methods cluster randomized controlled trial to examine the short-term impact of teacher training and the complementary effects of Short Message Service (SMS) text messages on teachers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices around gender equality and gender socialization.1 Qualitative inquiry methods were also used to explore how the programme worked.
The evaluation yielded three main findings:
– Positive evidence showed that the programme succeeded in increasing teachers’ knowledge of and
attitudes towards gender equality issues in the short term.
– Limited evidence was found to demonstrate that the programme influenced overall teacher practices (at least in the short term).
– Limited evidence was found for positive complementary effects of the SMS component on teachers’
knowledge, attitudes and practices.
– Detailed findings and recommendations follow the brief discussions below of the programme’s Ugandan context and its objectives and content, and the methods and limitations of the present study.
Download the full Evaluation: Evaluation of the Transformative Potential of Positive Gender Socialization in Education for Peacebuilding
Download the Evaluation Appendices: Evaluation Appendices