Research methodologies for Education in Emergencies

A paper from Laura H.V. Wright entitled Education in Emergencies: Research Methodologies Identifying Successes and Gaps:

'Because EiE research is emerging concurrently with the push for education to be considered the fourth pillar of humanitarian aid, much of the research is conducted and/or used for the purpose of EiE advocacy and project design, focusing on a linear model of relief to development. This advocacy push has blocked the field from developing “strong theoretical and analytical tools to support critical scholarly inquiry and research” (Rappleye & Paulson, 2007, p. 260). This, as evidenced in the literature, results in a dearth of theoretical research and research that critically examines the positives and negatives of education (Bush & Saltarelli, 2000), and long-term effects of persons affected by emergencies. Education theory, such as that presented by Davies (2003) and Novelli and Cardoza (2008), should be infused into the research design process. The use of theory is critical. It could aid researchers in linking different patterns found in evidence and increase the credibility of qualitative research conducted in EiE. 

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Innovative participatory research methodologies have taken root in the EiE field (Mitchell, 2011; Bengtsson & Bartlett, 2011). The use of child-friendly qualitative methods that seek to understand children‟s perceptions of their own education and aspirations is pertinent. The participatory studies thus far have predominantly focused on examining NGO-based education programs. This method should also be used to understand non-formal, community-developed education programs that are not influenced/developed by INGOs and international organizations. A central tension that lies at the heart of comparative and international education, and plays out in education in emergencies, is the belief of being able to “learn from elsewhere,” constrained by the realization that contextual differences make importing „best practices‟ observed elsewhere extremely problematic (Rappleye & Paulson, 2007).'

Get the paper here.