Interactive radio instruction – a legacy of COVID-19 for marginalized adolescent girls of Baluchistan

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to report insights from the planning and execution phase of an interactive radio instruction (IRI) intervention envisioned as a medium-term response plan to address school closures amidst the global Coronavirus pandemic. The project has been envisioned by a local development agency in the province of Balochistan for adolescent out-of-school (OOS) girls. Design/methodology/approach This study reports respondents’ academic achievement through the one-group pretest-posttest design method across numeracy, literacy, civic education and indigenous crafts. Participating adolescent girl respondents were randomly selected from six districts of Balochistan and the results assert a positive impact of IRI intervention. Thus, showcasing IRI as a promising approach to address protracted challenges of educational accessibility in remote areas of Pakistan. Findings The mean score comparison of pre-test–post-test across four curriculum subjects indicates the greatest gains in numeracy and civic education. Results also highlight the significance of the pedagogical capacity of IRI developers and the quality of supplementary educational kits paired with IRI during this intervention. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study focus on design and implementation phases eliminating the analysis of learners’ behaviour, environmental factors and family support. Further research is suggested to identify gaps in related dimensions for the success of IRI in Pakistan. Originality/value This study contributes data-driven findings from a pioneer on-going IRI project in Balochistan, a hard-to-reach province where the ratio of OOS adolescent girls exceeds 78%. This study also proposes vital steps for the longevity of IRI to solve protracted educational crises in Pakistan.

Implementation, Utilization, and Effects of Radio-Based Instruction Towards the Academic Performance of Grade 7 Students: Basis for a Proposed Radio-Based Education on the Go Program

“…On the other hand, grading the learners based on their performance from the given modalities, with emphasis on Radio-Based Instruction, will challenge teachers in various ways, such as the legitimacy of the learners' answers to the questions or whether or not they were the ones who answered the questions. There are many unanswered questions in this type of educational setup, and this research may provide the answers to that (Kinder, 2016;Kurrien, 2018;Raza, 2022).…”

“…The design's dependence on audience research, engagement, and field-level formative evaluation is one of its most important features since it helps to ensure that courses are exciting and relevant and that learners can accomplish the learning goals. With each cycle of feedback and observation, a program's structure, activities, and breaks alter (Elliot & Lashley, 2017;Moloo et al, 2018;Raza, 2022).…”

“…Indonesia used Radio-Based Instruction or Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) in their term, and the performance of learners who were "hard to reach" was significantly above average. Hard-to-reach areas benefitted the program most since the distance was one significant challenge in their educational setup (Acido et al, 2018;Damani & Mitchell, 2020;Raza, 2022).…”

“…Therefore, schools were advised to adopt assessment and grading practices that can most meaningfully support learner development and respond to the varied context at the time. The interim policy aims to ensure that all learners are pretty assessed and graded in the continuation of education notwithstanding the epidemic and to underline that learning requirements must be reached with reasonable flexibility and regard for potential challenges encountered by the learner (Acido et al, 2018;Mahdy, 2020;Raza, 2022).…”

Radio Pakistan in the Digital Age

“…So digital conversion of radio, has undergone a digital evolution. Indeed web radio shows are promoting new rising talents (Raza, 2022). In fact technology has totally change the landscape of Radio Broadcasting and has shaped a new horizon of opportunities for new talent to showcase their skills (Kalla et al, 2022).…”