Pushing Past Barriers to Post-Primary Education Sharing
Reflections on the Methodology of UNICEFs Regional Education Study
Slide 2 Pushing Past Barriers Research Process and Methods The
Georgia Youth Research Team Slide 3 Stakeholder Analyses &
Youth Consultations Youth Consultations 1)To develop draft
questionnaires/focus group topics and questions; 2)To ensure strong
youth participation and ownership of the research process; 3)To
serve as a recruitment mechanism to identify potential Youth
Researchers; and 4)To build interest for the study among youth
partners within each country. Stakeholder Analyses Implemented to
determine youth target groups; potential partnerships and their
roles; where stakeholder contributions can be used; and to
anticipate and address threats to the studys success. Slide 4
National Research Team Recruitment Female and male youth ages 18 to
24 Communication skills, research experience and interest in youth
activism and education issues Not required to have experience or
training in qualitative methods From a variety of geographic
locations and demographic backgrounds Youth Researchers were:
secondary and university students; members of majority and minority
ethnic communities; working and unemployed youth; from urban and
rural areas; activists; NGO-affiliated; and more Slide 5 Youth
Researcher Trainings A Five-day training. Goals To ensure
Researchers, Supervisors and others understood their roles and
responsibilities and learned and practiced the skills needed to
implement the research. Build youth capacity and skills;
Researchers reviewed, debated, revised and pilot tested the
structured survey questionnaire developed for their setting and
developed focus group questions and themes; To build a sense of
teamwork and empower the youth. Slide 6 Data Collection Process
A.Participatory nationally representative two-stage cluster surveys
B.Focus group discussions organized, led and attended by youth in
various parts of each country/around each country. Slide 7 Youth
Advocacy Statement Development A.Served as an additional platform
from which youth could voice their opinions and ideas about the
state of education quality and how to improve it. B.Youth were
encouraged to develop creative follow-up strategies to capitalize
on the study's findings and to encourage UNICEF to maintain its
support of youth-led initiatives. Slide 8 Evaluation of the
Participatory Methods and Processes Used What Worked & Didnt
Work? Slide 9 Promising & Innovative Practices as Described by
Youth & UNICEF Officers The Kosovo Youth Research Team Slide 10
What do the Youth Researchers Say? adolescents and youth Slide 11
Youth-centered processes from its early inception, to design and
implementation A balanced and diverse team composition
Participatory training methodologies Empowering &
youth-approved research implementation processes Methodologies
ensuring diverse national/local youth perspectives A confidential
peer-to-peer approach A coinciding workshop to develop youth calls
to action on education quality Promising & Innovative Practices
as Described by Youth & UNICEF Officers adolescents and youth
Slide 12 Lessons Learned as Described by Youth & UNICEF
Officers The Tajikistan Youth Research Team Slide 13 What do the
Youth Researchers Say? adolescents and youth Slide 14 Creates a
platform for youth to voice and document their perspectives
Provides a crucial youth-centered knowledge base for future action
Encourages UNICEF and its partners to use innovative research
processes and methodologies Encourages UNICEF to pre-plan follow-up
strategies with and for youth Challenges the added value of using
"Fragility" as a research base Highlights the challenges involved
in conducting youth participatory research Lessons Learned as
Described by Youth & UNICEF Officers adolescents and youth
Slide 15 Recommendations as Described by Youth & UNICEF
Officers The Chechnya Youth Researcher Team Slide 16 What do the
Youth Researchers Say? adolescents and youth Slide 17 Improve and
expand on the Youth Researcher/Supervisor recruitment and selection
process to ensure greater diversity and commitment from potential
team members; Adjust the timing and locations of the research to
maximize participation and minimize hardships on participants;
Improve sampling procedures, expand participation processes and
consider focusing on additional and overlapping research themes to
capture even more youth perspectives and to address more defined
youth concerns; unite for youth Recommendations as Offered by Youth
& UNICEF Officers adolescents and youth Slide 18 Set clearer
logistical and financial management structures and expectations;
ensure adequate UNICEF funding and enlist more human resources in
order to prevent unnecessary constraints on the research
implementation on research teams; Improve security procedures and
ensure well-advanced notification to local and national authorities
to maximize Youth Researcher support and safety; and Plan for and
design more immediate follow-up strategies and activities to
capitalize on the youth participants' motivation and ideas.
Recommendations as Offered by Youth & UNICEF Officers
adolescents and youth Slide 19 Questions & Answers adolescents
and youth
