This thesis explored the impact of Home grown school feeding program which were designed and implemented by WFP with its different partners in Rwanda between 2015 and 2020, with the aim to understand their impact on literacy improvement. Primary education is receiving much attention from governments of all countries and NGOs in recent times. However, poverty and hunger serves as barriers to achieving the Education for All (EFA) policy in Rwanda. To actualize the EFA in Rwanda, there was the introduction of some educational intervention programmes such as the capitation grant and the school feeding. School feeding programmes are safety net programmes as well as educational interventions ensuring that children with poor parents are given at least a meal a day at school. In Home grown school feeding program intervention (Rutsiro, Karongi, Nyaruguru and Nyamagabe districts), students get porridge and food respectively.
Therefore, this thesis adopted the qualitative research method to investigate how Home grown school feeding program contributes to literacy improvement in Rutsiro district, Rwanda. As a result, approximately one-third of our research sample is reading at or above the WCPM range. Besides this, there are differences in boys’ and girls’ performance at certain ranges of WCPM, with a quarter of the male sample reading no words at all compared to 11.8 percent of females. Girls also outperform boys at the 16-30 WCPM range, but this trend reverses at the highest WCPM range, with nearly a quarter of boys reading 41-56 WCPM but just 13.6 percent of girls. The findings show that students who could read aloud have much better comprehension ratings: 92.6 percent meet or exceed standard compared to 64.8 percent of those with lower oral fluency. The difference is even more marked when comparing the percentages in the exceeds category: 65.6 percent of students who read on their own answered 4-5 comprehension questions correctly compared to 35.9 percent of those who listened to the story.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE OF THE STUDY
1.1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.2. RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT
1.3. LITERATURE REVIEW
1.4. OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH
1.5. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.6. HYPOTHESIS OF THE RESEARCH
1.7. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1.8. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.9. SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH
1.10. STRUCTURE AND SEQUENCE OF THE STUDY
CHAPTER TWO
CONTEXTUAL FRAMEWORK OF HOME GROWN SCHOOLFEEDING VERSUS LITERACY IMPROVEMENT ACROSS INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
2.1. Introduction
2.2. Literacy
2.2.1. Meaning
2.2.3. History of literacy
2.2.4. Gender disparities
2.2.5. Impact of literacy on human beings’ development
2.2.6. Rwanda’s literacy rate rises
2.2.7. Literacy promotion efforts
2.2.8. Teaching literacy
2.3. HOMEGROWN SCHOOLFEEDING
2.3.1. Global understanding of schoolfeeding programme
2.3.2. NGOs and United Nations Contributions to Home grown schoolfeeding programme
2.3.3. Home grown school feeding programme and SDGs
2.4. Conceptual framework
2.5. Summary and conclusion
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY AND METHODS
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Use of the mixed methods approach
3.2.1 Meaning of mixed methods research
3.2.2 Explanatory sequential research approach
3.2.3 Ontological and epistemological stance: the pragmatic paradigm
3.3. Sampling and tools for data collection
3.3.1. Evaluation matrix
3.3.2. Data collection methods and tools
3.3.3. Sample selection
3.3.4. Student sampling frame
3.3.5. School selection and school-level survey
3.3.6. Administration of EGRA
3.4. Ethical safeguards
3.5. Quality assurance and reliability
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS
4.2. Country Context and Program Overview
4.3. HGSF programme relevance to national policies and UN SDGs
4.4. RESEARCH APPROCHES
4.5. RESEARCH KEY FINDINGS
4.5.1. Reading, listening and comprehension
4.5.2. Reading speed and comprehension
4.5.3. Testing reading comprehension
4.5.4. Factors to reading improvement
4.5.5. Community-based literacy (Reading clubs in the community)
4.5.6.Community Participation in School Governance Mechanisms
4.5.7.Capacity of Local Institutions
4.6. FACTORS AFFECTING THE RESULTS
4.6.1. Internal Factors
4.6.2. External Factors
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION, GENERAL CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1. Introduction
5.2. Impact and Sustainability
5.3. RECOMMENDATIONS
5.3.1. Operational Recommendations
5.3.2. Strategic Recommendations
5.4. CONTRIBUTION OF THE THESIS
5.4.1. Reflections on research methodology
5.4.2. Lessons learnt from the study
5.4.3. Areas for further research
5.5. CONCLUDING REMARKS
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the impact of the Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) program on literacy improvement among primary school students in the Rutsiro district of Rwanda. It explores how school feeding initiatives correlate with improvements in reading fluency, comprehension, and overall educational access within the specific cultural and economic context of the region.
- The influence of HGSF program components on student literacy rates.
- Stakeholder roles and responsibilities in implementing HGSF interventions.
- The effectiveness of literacy-focused teaching methods paired with school nutrition.
- Socio-economic factors affecting student attendance and reading performance in primary schools.
- Sustainability challenges and strategies for integrating HGSF into national policy.
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1.1.GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Rwanda is a nation focused on achieving long-term sustainable development. It is through hard work, qualitative and quantitative education and new strategies, that these goals will be achieved. There are priorities and musts in the journey to an intellectual, cultural and creative future; a future contrary to the country’s historical events, which led to, the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Being educated is to be literate. According to UNESCO (2008), literacy is “the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society.”
More than 60 per cent of the Rwandan Government’s annual budget is dedicated to the education sector; proof that shows the recognition of its role in developing and harnessing the younger generation.
In December 2009, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, emphasized that, “[…] imperative is the education and enlightenment, at least of a critical mass of Rwandans, so that ignorance will never be the cause of civil strife in this country again.”
Ariel and Will Durant were right when they said, “Education is the transmission of civilization.” Being the most important element which is fundamental to education, literacy should be seen as a significant part of sustainable economic and social transformation that leads to the type of development, we all dream of and wish to have.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER ONE: Provides an overview of the educational landscape in Rwanda and the rationale for investigating the impact of school feeding on literacy development.
CHAPTER TWO: Establishes the theoretical and contextual framework by reviewing global and national perspectives on literacy and school feeding programs.
CHAPTER THREE: Details the research methodology, including the mixed-methods approach, sampling techniques, and data collection tools utilized for the evaluation.
CHAPTER FOUR: Presents the findings regarding the impact of the HGSF program, analyzing student performance data and external/internal factors affecting results.
CHAPTER FIVE: Discusses the overall findings, concludes the study's impact, and offers strategic recommendations for sustainable school feeding expansion.
Keywords
Home Grown School Feeding, HGSF, Literacy Improvement, Rutsiro District, Rwanda, EGRA, Primary Education, Educational Intervention, Food Security, School Feeding Program, Academic Performance, Literacy Boost, Sustainability, Student Attendance, Qualitative Research.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research investigates the influence of Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programs on literacy rates and student performance in the Rutsiro district of Rwanda.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include literacy instruction, the impact of nutrition on learning capacity, gender disparities in educational outcomes, and the administrative challenges of scaling school feeding programs.
What is the main objective of the thesis?
The primary goal is to examine how HGSF interventions contribute to literacy improvement and to identify the factors that influence students' reading comprehension and attendance.
Which research methodology was employed?
The study utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from EGRA assessments and head teacher surveys with qualitative insights from interviews and focus group discussions.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The body covers a literature review on literacy, the conceptual framework for independent variables like school feeding, and a detailed analysis of findings concerning reading fluency and the sustainability of the program.
What are the defining keywords of the work?
Defining keywords include Home Grown School Feeding, Literacy Improvement, Rutsiro District, Rwanda, EGRA, and Educational Intervention.
How does the HGSF program specifically affect student literacy?
The program pairs nutritious meals with Literacy Boost activities, which aims to improve students' attentiveness, reduce absenteeism, and provide the necessary environment for acquiring reading fluency.
What role does the community play in the HGSF program?
The community is involved through Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), which monitor the program's progress, help with school garden activities, and encourage participation in community-based literacy groups.
What are the sustainability challenges mentioned?
Challenges include the financial burden on parents to cover operational costs, the limited capacity of local institutions to take over procurement, and the need for a long-term transition strategy to government funding.
- Quote paper
- Ben Alexandre Mpozembizi (Author), 2021, Examining the Impact of Homegrown School Feeding Program on Literacy Improvement in Rutsiro, District, Rwanda, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1004865
