Dr. Fennell has been awarded a £200,000 contract as the Principal investigator on a DFID commissioned series of research studies on Activity Based Learning (ABL) in India. The studies will look closely at not just what children learn, but how they learn. This includes gaining a better understanding of the ‘black box’ of classroom pedagogy and the teaching-learning process. There will also be an assessment of the influence of tools by which teachers, schools and governments have measured what children know and can do.
The studies will help to enrich our understanding of ABL and shed important light on the process of large-scale education reform. The lessons, including how to measure impact, will be useful not just within India, but equally beyond its borders. This is particularly relevant given that adaptations of the ABL model are currently being implemented in 14 States across India and several countries including Ghana, Nepal and Ethiopia.