Members of the Sewall Lab, in collaboration with colleagues from the Ladybug Project, have published a new scientific article entitled “Barriers to Student Success in Madagascar” in the journal Global Education Review.
This article evaluated the effectiveness of science and math education at the primary, secondary, and university levels, and clarified barriers to student progression through the education system in Madagascar. We found that science and math performance in Madagascar lagged behind other nations and there was a high dropout rate. Key barriers to advancement by students interested in science and math included crowded classes, limited pedagogical and infrastructural resources, grade repetition, late school starting age, and discontinuities in the language of instruction. Educational approach and context also differed depending on whether schools were urban or rural and public or private. We therefore suggest increased provision of educational resources, resource equalization, improved training in the language of instruction, and increased local autonomy in designing appropriate curricula as first steps to tackling these barriers to student success in science and math disciplines in Madagascar.
The lead author on the study was Aby Wills of the Ladybug Project. Three members of the Sewall Lab were co-authors on this article: Kim Reuter, Andrea Gudiel, and Dr. Sewall. The article can be obtained here.