No Longer Overlooked and Undervalued? The Evolving Dynamics of Endogenous Educational Research in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Multilateral donors like the World Bank and bilateral agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the British Department for International Development exert a great deal of influence in international educational development-particularly in sub-Saharan Africa-both in the programs they fund and the types of research they engage in. In this article, Richard Maclure investigates educational research in Africa and juxtaposes research done by large, exogenous, Western, results-oriented organizations with research performed by smaller, endogenous, local researchers aided by local research networks. Maclure argues convincingly that research that falls into the exogenous "donor-control" paradigm far too often is irrelevant to the African educational policy context and does little to develop local research capacity. The cases of two African research networks-the Educational Research Network of West and Central Africa and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa-are presented as exemplars of organizations that promote an alternative type of research that is endogenous, relevant to policy and the process of policymaking, and controlled by Africans. Maclure concludes with a call for increased support for and development of these types of networks, and for the development of the long-term solution to educational research in Africa-the university.

Challenges and Responsibilities Facing Canadian Literacy Researchers Working in Global Communities

“…The literature we reviewed revealed that these relationships may be differently scaled particularly when research involves donor-based funding. e.g., neocolonialism (Wickens & Sandlin, 2007); donor-control paradigm (Maclure, 2006); re/colonization (Choudry, 2009); intellectual dependence (Canagarajah, 2002;Bevington & Dixon, 2005) Power relations and politics (in a national level) e.g., power relations between donors and research parties, such as conflicts in interests and roles (Cranshaw, 1985;Fetterman, 1984;Samoff, 1996); power relations among different parties, such as between donors and government (Buchert, 2000;Hayman, 2007).…”

“…Within the financial-intellectual complex, accountability to external agencies/funders and to the broader international community that demands evidence of progress to such global goals as Education for All (World Bank, 2009) also undermines any progress in local ownership of education (Higgins & Rwanyange, 2005). In this way, research may serve the interests of foreign funding groups (donors) who may be in alliance with the core elite (Hayman, 2007;Maclure, 2006). This situation also contributes to external dependency when hierarchical rather than collaborative relations are created between institutions and scholars.…”

“…Maclure (2006) argues that this type of research produces measurable results but limited depth of study of local literacy practices beyond -schooled colonialist‖ conceptions. Further, theoretical frameworks of these donor-funded projects are limited to positivist perspectives that can produce desired quantitative results.…”

“…However, we argue that additional challenges and considerations come into play when research carried out in -developing countries‖ is funded by alternative sources such as those listed above. In such situations, relationships between the cultures of the Academy and these alternative funders can be marked with tensions and dilemmas about research purposes, theoretical perspectives, research designs, ethical procedures and researcher roles (Choudry, 2007;Cranshaw, 1985;Fetterman, 1984;Luke, 2003;Maclure, 2006;Samoff, 1996;Wickens & Sandlin, 2007). These are pressing matters to be addressed by Canadian literacy scholars in light of the growing understanding of the role of researchers in perpetuating intellectual dependency in countries entering the global knowledge economy.…”

“…We also cautiously use the term -non-mainstream communities‖ to refer to communities regarded as outside of the dominant society (such as Aboriginal communities in Canada). We ascribe to Maclure's (2006) distinction between endogenous research as -donor-controlled inquiries‖ versus more praxis-oriented research. We are also concerned about enabling the voices and work of less heard scholars into the global research community.…”