The Project
Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment (OUCEA) has been successful in its bid for ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING IN AFRICA (AFLA): Improving Pedagogy and Assessment for Numeracy in Foundation Years to the ESRC-DfID and awarded £695,210 to conduct research on formative assessment in primary school early years’ numeracy contexts in Tanzania, East Africa and two sites in South Africa. OUCEA will lead the project with Principal Investigator Dr. Therese N. Hopfenbeck.
Our approach is to develop classroom materials for primary school numeracy development and use these as the basis for workshops and for the development of teacher learning communities in each research site. The aim is to improve teachers’ own numeracy skills and their understanding of how numeracy can be more effectively communicated to their young learners and to improve children’s outcomes in the form of test results through appropriate assessment strategies.
While much is known about assessment for learning in well-resourced circumstances this research deliberately involves itself in far more challenging circumstances, specifically in urban slum areas, in order to develop ways of contributing to teaching and learning in the more marginal and disadvantaged circumstances in which millions of school-age learners find themselves.
The research team includes researchers with extensive experience of implementing formative assessment internationally, numeracy specialists and academics based in South Africa and Tanzania who are familiar with their own contexts and local conditions. The work will take place over three years, and commenced in April 2016.
Former team member: Therese Hopfenbeck
AFLA Team in Tanzania
Professor Anjum Halai
Veronica Sarung
Dr Naomi B Katunzi
Allan Fumbo
Evodius Jackson
Esther Kibga
Frida Joseph Kiliwa
Rehema Mdoe
Erestine Philemon Munisi
Kipelo Obed
AFLA Team in South Africa
Professor Anil Kanjee
Professor Yusuf Sayed
Dr Meshack Qetelo Moloi
Dr Nicoleen Schuld
Jayesh Bhana
Jeanette-Ramollo
Dr Osman Sadeck
AFLA Advisory Board
Professor Jo-Anne Baird
Professor Paul Black
Associate Professor Mary Hill
Professor Gordon Stobart
Professor Dylan Wiliam
Thabo Mabogoane
Dr Maria Teresa Florez
Professor Nancy Perry
Dr Peter Beets
Professor Joyce Ndalichako
AFLA Publications
AFLA South Africa radio interview
AFLA South Africa (CPUT) website
AFLA Tanzania Flyer (English) (Kiswahili)
AFLA Tanzania presentation
AFLA Tanzania pod cast
AFLA Tanzania website
AFLA Facebook
AFLA Updates
This webpage contains regular updates about the progress of AFLA. For more detailed information about each posting please click on the links provided.
AFLA dissemination event in Dar Es Salaam May 2019.
Veronica Sarungi visits Oxford in November 2018.
Anjum Halai visits Oxford in June 2018.
Dr Kit Double joins OUCEA and the AFLA Oxford team.
Nancy Perry visits Oxford in May 2018.
Two-day AFLA Core Team meeting in snowy Oxford in March 2018.
AFLA Tanzania hosts workshop 7 .
First AFLA Advisory Board meeting in June 2017.
The AFLA Tanzania team conducted a research workshop in May 2017
Therese Hopfenbeck and Anjum Halai at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting.
Professor Yusuf Sayed, AFLA Co-Investigator in South Africa, was interviewed by iono.fm about Assessment For Equitable & Quality Education In South Africa.
The official launch event and first workshops take place in the two AFLA research sites in South Africa.
The official launch event and first workshops take place in Tanzania.
Oxford Team travels to Tanzania for the official launch on the 23rd & 24th of January.
South Africa launch event dates confirmed.
Advisory Board member Nancy Perry visits Oxford on 27th & 28th October.
Piloting has been completed in Tanzania in October 2016.
Piloting begins in Tanzania in September 2016.
Advisory Board member Mary Hill visits Oxford on 9th September.
Work on AFLA continues over the summer months. More information about AFLA in Tanzania is available here.
AFLA Core Team meets in Oxford in June 2016 for a two day workshop.
