Learning from the Multi-Country Study on Inclusive Education
What is MCSIE?
The Multi-Country Study on Inclusive Education (MCSIE) is the first major, multi-country effort by USAID to investigate what works in supporting children with disabilities to learn to read. The study aims to derive lessons about what works to sustainably advance teaching and learning outcomes for children with disabilities in varying contexts. USAID and its partners will use this information to inform adaptations to its activities in Cambodia, Malawi, and Nepal, as needed, and plan for new inclusive early grade reading programming globally.
The focus of the study includes
- screening and identification of disability,
- teacher training and professional development,
- inclusive-materials development, and
- instructional models for inclusion.
What we learned from partnering with the Cambodian Disabled Persons’ Organization for inclusive education research
Read the related learning post: Prioritizing the Perspectives of Local Actors
What promising strategies are emerging from the study?
The following interim findings and recommendations provide promising identification strategies, training strategies, process strategies, cross-cutting themes, and areas for further research and program considerations:
- Teacher Training (Interim Findings Comparative Briefer) <Coming Soon>
- Malawi (Interim Findings Briefer)
- Cambodia (Final Findings Interactive Version)
- Cambodia (Interim Findings Briefer)
- Nepal (Interim Findings Briefer)
What was learned from mapping interventions?
MSCIE supported a mapping of how USAID-funded activities, specifically the All Children Reading-Cambodia (ACR-Cambodia) project, align with government and donor efforts to provide inclusive education for children with disabilities. The objective of this mapping was to answer the following questions about disability-inclusive education in Cambodia:
- What other methods/models were in place prior to/during the USAID activity?
- How does/did the method/model work (i.e., successes/challenges/barriers)?
- Where and how do actors in each area of intervention interact with other actors in the
- system?
- What do actors in each area of intervention perceive as the biggest assets and needs within the system?
Read Key Findings Related to Screening and Identification, Teacher Training, and Instructional Practices
Cambodia Areas of Intervention Mapping
Malawi Areas of Intervention Mapping
Nepal Areas of Intervention Mapping
What are the research questions the study is attempting to answer?
The study explores the following key questions in study countries:
1. What worked well/poorly in the process of setting up an efficient, effective, and sustainable system to focus on improving the quality of education for learners with disabilities?
2. What methods worked best to identify learners with disabilities?
3. What training model(s) worked best to provide teachers with the resources and support they need to best meet the needs of learners with disabilities?
4. What instructional models worked best to improve classroom instruction and reading outcomes among learners with disabilities?
5. Were there any unintended consequences of the activity? What were they?
What are the research methods the study uses to answer the research questions?
The study uses a process-evaluation design to develop case studies of the inclusive education system supporting children with disabilities to learn to read in each country and show how various interventions (including USAID programming) affect those systems.
Who is leading the MCSIE study?
The Multi-Country Study on Inclusive Education (MCSIE) is led by Inclusive Development Partners (IDP) in partnership with the Cambodia Disabled People’s Organization, Invest in Knowledge in Malawi and Kathmandu University in Nepal. The study spans August 2019 through March 2024.
For this study, USAID is partnering with Purdue University, the University of Massachusetts at Boston and Inclusive Development Partners through the Long-term Assistance and Services for Research (LASER) Partners for University-Led Solutions Engine (PULSE) mechanism to evaluate three USAID inclusive education activities in Cambodia, Malawi, and Nepal.