From Evidence to Action for Education in Emergencies:

TIES Collection of 3EA E-Cubed Research and Engagement

Introduction

Evidence-based guidance is critical for stakeholders to make informed decisions on investment and policy, as well as on program design and implementation to improve children's academic and social-emotional learning (SEL) for children affected by conflict and crisis. 3EA E^3 project, titled "Understanding Children’s Holistic Development, Program Implementation, and Effectiveness in Context: Evidence to Guide Investments in Social Emotional Learning" is set out to provide such guidance based on rigorous research conducted in three contexts: with Syrian refugee children in Lebanon, Nigerian refugee and Nigerian host-country children in Niger affected by Boko Haram attacks, and children in post-ebola Sierra Leone.


The purpose of this product, the 3EA E^3 Synthesis, is to summarize and showcase the achievements on communication of the evidence and lessons learned from the 3EA E-Cubed project. In sum, we generated 59 total communications products across 12 different formats targeting diverse audiences. These products are presented in 12 different formats, to cater to these diverse audiences and maximize the reach and impact, ranging from academic journals, policy briefs, and datasets to press releases, blogs, webinars, interactive online tools, and more.

Project summary

This project leverages the data collected for the Education in Emergencies, Evidence for Action (3EA) Impact Initiative, which evaluated impacts of remedial education and social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions with more than 17,000 children in three crisis-affected contexts: Lebanon, Niger, and Sierra Leone. With the 3EA data, and funded by the E-Cubed research envelope, we were able to examine how SEL programming can support children’s holistic learning and development, in what conditions and for whom.

Countries involved:

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

Lebanon

Lebanon

Niger

Niger

Research questions:

This E-Cubed-funded project extended our current knowledge from the outcomes in 3EA by examining three primary questions:


    • What is normative and adaptive for children’s learning and development in three crisis-affected contexts with unique cultures and conditions?


    • How do implementation factors, such as dosage and quality of SEL practices and programs, affect intended results?


    • Does the impact of SEL programming vary according to the level of children’s exposure to adversity?

Goals

To strategically disseminate research findings and lessons learned from large-scale rigorous evaluation of academic and SEL programming in order to:

Research as a Global Public Good

The research was only the beginning.

Without effective communication of the findings and evidence that can catalyze real world changes, research alone do not advance the society. Better coordination and sharing with the larger community is critical to maximize the impact of the research.


For this project, NYU-TIES saw the research communication process as an integral part of research. And we developed stratigic communication plans for key audiences in mind: academic community, donors, international NGOs and practitioners, and the general public & media.

Target audiences

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DONORS

GENERAL PUBLIC & MEDIA

Pie Chart
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RESEARCHERS

NGOs & PRACTITIONERS

Example targeted output:

Researchers

journal articles, conference presentations, measurement reports, and datasets

NGOs and Practitioners

stakeholder meetings, briefs, human-interest stories, webinars, and explainer videos

stakeholder meetings, briefs, human-interest stories, blogs, webinars, and explainer videos

Donors

press releases, human-interest stories, blogs, and explainer videos

General Public / Media

We are so proud and excited to share this collection of our work from 3EA E^3 Project!

Children affected by armed conflict and crisis and deserve the best science we can afford. This project is our effort to provide just that, and engage stakeholders work to support them effectively. We hope you find our work presented here useful and helpful to support the most vulnerable children in the world.

Dr Ha Yeon Kim

Principal Investigator, E-Cubed Initiative

NYU Global TIES for Children

Interactive Stakeholder Recommendation Guideline

Journal Articles

Published:

  • Aber, J. L., Tubbs Dolan, C., Kim, H. Y., & Brown, L. (2021). Children’s learning and development in conflict- and crisis-affected countries: Building a science for action. Development and Psychopathology, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579420001789


  • Brown, L. E., Kim, H. Y., Tubbs Dolan, C., Brown, A., Sklar, J., & Aber, J. L. (2022). Remedial programming and skill-targeted SEL in low-income and crisis-affected contexts: Experimental evidence from Niger. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2022.2139785


  • Kim, H. Y., Brown, L., Tubbs Dolan, C., Gjicali, K., Deitz, R., Prieto Bayona, M. del S., & Aber, J. L. (2023). Testing the impact of a skill-targeted social and emotional learning curriculum and its variation by pre- and postmigration conflict experiences: A cluster randomized trial with Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000775


  • Kim, H. Y., Brown, L., Tubbs Dolan, C., Sheridan, M., & Aber, J. L. (2020). Post-migration risks, developmental processes, and learning among Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 69, 101142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101142


  • Kim, H. Y., Gjicali, K., Wu, Z., & Tubbs Dolan, C. (2021). Teachers’ Observations of Learners’ Social and Emotional Learning (TOOLSEL): Psychometric evidence for use in program evaluation in education in emergencies. Journal of Education in Emergencies, 7(2), 57–103. https://doi.org/10.33682/3nr1-3ksq



*Under Review:

  • Brown, L., Gjicali, K., Kim, H. Y., Tubbs Dolan, C., & Aber, J. L. (under review). In search of optimization: A cluster randomized control trial of program iterations on non-formal remedial tutoring for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. American Educational Research Journal.


  • Kim, H. Y., Brown, L. E., Tubbs Dolan, C., Ngoga, E., Fernandes, R. F., & Aber, J. L. (under review). School-based universal social and emotional learning interventions for education in conflict and crisis: Experimental impacts of in Niger. American Journal of Educational Research.


DataSets

Published datasets as of January 31, 2022:


    • Aber, John Lawrence; Brown, Lindsay; Dolan, Carly Tubbs; Kim, Ha Yeon; & Annan, Jeannie. (2022). Lebanon Year 1 Deidentified Data (2016-2017). Global TIES for Children and International Rescue Committee [publisher]. Harvard Dataverse [distributor]. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/97Q2B8


    • Aber, John Lawrence; Brown, Lindsay; Dolan, Carly Tubbs; Kim, Ha Yeon; & Annan, Jeannie. (2022). Lebanon Year 2 Deidentified Data (2017-2018). (Dataset). Global TIES for Children and International Rescue Committee [publisher]. Harvard Dataverse [distributor]. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/4WOCWJ


    • Aber, John Lawrence; Brown, Lindsay; Dolan, Carly Tubbs; Kim, Ha Yeon; & Annan, Jeannie. (2022). Niger Year 1 Deidentified Data (2016-2017). (Dataset). Global TIES for Children and International Rescue Committee [publisher]. Harvard Dataverse [distributor]. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/TVXIEW


    • Aber, John Lawrence; Brown, Lindsay; Dolan, Carly Tubbs; Kim, Ha Yeon; & Annan, Jeannie. (2022). Niger Year 2 Deidentified Data (2017-2018). (Dataset). Global TIES for Children and International Rescue Committee [publisher]. Harvard Dataverse [distributor]. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/MX4JYG

*Data-sharing:

We published the external data sharing procedure and policy, in coordination with IRC. Meta data and documentation are held under a shareable Creative Commons license and the data will be held under a custom license (currently being drafted by Dan Woulfin, NYU-TIES SeniorData Associate). This license limits use of the data to research/academic purposes and forbids commercial use for administrative or law enforcement purposes, and identifying individuals studied in the dataset.

Measurement reports






https://inee.org/resources/self-regulation-assessment-assessor-report-sra-ar


Press Releases

  • Aber et al (2021): 12 online, 3 print press coverage



briefs

  • Boulares, Douha; Tubbs Dolan, Carly (2020). Relationship Between Post-Migration Risks and Holistic Learning Among Syrian Refugee Children in Lebanon [Press release]. doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.22726985

Human-Interest Stories


  • Brown, L., & Kim, H. Y. (2022, January 27). Research Near & Far: Global TIES for Children [web log].

https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/ihdsc/on-the-ground/research-near-far-global-ties-children.


Blogs



Conference presentations

  • Brown, L. Kim, H.Y., Annan, J., Aber, J.L. (2019, March 5-9). SEL Functioning in Crisis-Contexts: Role Of Gender, Grade Level, And School Attendance in Sierra Leone [Conference presentation]. Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) 2019, Washington D.C., United States.


  • Brown, L., Kim, H.Y., Annan, J., Aber, J.L. (2019, April 5-9). Evidence for Educational Intervention Effectiveness: Impacts of a cRCT of SEL-infused Tutoring Programming in Niger [Conference presentation]. American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2019, Toronto, Canada.


  • Brown, L., Ngoga, E., Aber, J.L. (2019, April 5-9). Capturing Data Collector Quality Through Field-Based Structured Observation: Toward Standardized, Evidence-Based Core Competencies [Conference presentation]. American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2019, Toronto, Canada.


  • Brown, L., Kim, H. Y., Yoshikawa, H., & Aber, J. L. (2021, September 26-29). Staying Mindful Of Fit: Teacher And Coach Perceptions of an SEL Intervention in West Africa [Conference presentation]. Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) 2021, Arlington,Virginia, United States.


  • Keim et al. (2019, March 5-9). Dosage Variability in School-Based Programs: The Roles of Individual- and Classroom-Level Attendance in Refugee Student Intervention Outcomes [Conference presentation]. Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) 2019, Washington D.C., United States. Presentation slides.


  • Keim et al. (2019, March 21-23). Student- and Classroom-Level Predictors of Refugee Student Attendance Trajectories in Lebanon: Implications for Interventions [Conference presentation]. Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) 2019, Baltimore, Maryland, United States. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.21313341


  • Kim, H. Y., Brown, L., Annan, J., & Aber, J. L. (2021, April 7). Social Emotional Learning (SEL) With Syrian Refugee Children: Impacts of a SEL Curriculum in Lebanon [Conference presentation]. Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) 2021, Virtual.


  • Kim et al. (2021, April 25 – May 2). Comprehensive Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Intervention With Syrian Refugee Children: Impact Variation By Pre- And Post-Migration Conflict Experiences [Conference presentation]. Comparative International Education Society (CIES) 2021, Washington D.C., United States. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.21313368



  • Kim, H. Y., Brown, L., Tubbs Dolan, C., Sklar, J., & Aber, J. L. (September, 2021, September 26-29). Supporting Academic And Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in Conflict-Affected Niger: Impacts and Impact Variation of SEL-infused Remedial Education Programs. Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) 2021, Arlington, Virginia, United States.


Community Stakeholder Presentations



Webinars

  • Kim, H. Y., Brown, L., & J. Lawrence, A. (2020, December 8). Improving Education for Refugee Children: Insights from Rigorous Research. NYU Abu Dhabi Institute Virtual Public Program, https://youtu.be/Nc42pUmLjE0
    • This webinar was hosted by NYUAD institute and discussed the state of education for refugee children broadly, zeros in on the conditions of refugee children in Lebanon and Niger, and summarizes insights evaluating innovative strategies to promote the academic learning and social-emotional development of the children.


  • Kim, H. Y., Brown, L., & D Boulares. (December 2021) Reimagining Education in Emergencies: Lessons from research in three crisis-affected countries RewirEd Summit virtual session (here)
    • The pre-recorded video was disseminated to global key stakeholders participated in the RewirEd summit.


Explainer Videos


This explainer video is focused on “Building a Science for Action”: Lessons learned and practical advice for researchers and practitioners to move the field towards building science for action. Read more about this work here: https://bit.ly/3CRQ5DX


The 3EA initiative, born out of a research-practice partnership between TIES and the International Rescue Committee, aims to generate evidence and tools on what works to improve children’s holistic learning and development. This work also aims to improve the quality of program implementation and to answer the questions of what works, how, for whom, and under what conditions. Our work has been made possible by our funders Dubai Cares, Porticus, Spencer Foundation and ESRC-DFID (now FCDO) with thanks to the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies.

  • Developed by Douha Boulares. (2021). The Story of Yasmin: a Journey Into a Day of a Refugee Child. YouTube.
    • This video was developed and shared as part of a pre-recorded presentation 'Reimaging Education in Emergencies: Lessons from research in three crisis-affected countries' by NYU-TIES' Ha Yeon Kim, Lindsay Brown, and Douha Boulares for the RewirEd Summit virtual session (Dec 2021).


The video follows the journey of a fictional Syrian refugee child named Yasmin, who is recreated based on our research with refugee children in Lebanon in real life. It walks viewers through what it is like to experience life as a refugee child.


Yasmin’s journey highlights the social and emotional struggles of refugee children in host community schools as a powerful tool to raise awareness about the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) support in education, concretely showing how refugee children may feel isolated, anxious, or overwhelmed, and how these feelings and challenges can affect their ability to learn and succeed in school. SEL programs, accompanied by comprehensive teacher support and training, can help both refugee and host community children develop skills such as self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills — skills much needed not only for their personal academic and social-emotional adaptation, but also for increased social cohesion and successful integration in the host community.

PROJECT TEAM

Principal investigators & co-Principal investigators

Ha Yeon

Kim

Principal Investigator

Lindsay

Brown

Co-Principal Investigator

Carly

Tubbs-Dolan

Co-Principal Investigator

J. Lawrence

Aber

Co-Principal Investigator

project team

Douha Boulares

Communications

Manager

Patrick

Anker

Data

Manager

Karolina

Lajch

Communications

Coordinator

Daniel

Woulfin

Senior Data Analyst

contributors

Zezhen Wu

Elisabeth Ann Griffin

Shirley Archer-Fields

Idan Falek

Mayarí Montes de Oca

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This 3EA E^3 Synthesis is designed and created by Karolina Lajch & Douha Boulares at NYU Global TIES for Children.

We would like to thank the funders, partners, collaborators, and contributors for the 3EA initiative, which served as the basis for the current 3EA E^3 project.

Funders of 3EA Initiative:

Program Partner:

International Rescue Committee

University Collaborators:

Harvard EASEL Lab, Margaret Sheridan-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Dubai Cares, Spencer Foundation, Porticus, ESRC-FCDO

Most of all, we would like to thank the children, parents, teachers, IRC HQ and country office staff, and ministry officials in Lebanon, Niger, and Sierra Leone that made this work possible, and the results meaningful and impactful.