Vol. 6 No. 1 (2025): Converging Pathways to Literacy and Learning in the Global South
Editor's Note
It is with great pleasure that I introduce this curated selection of research, which brings into focus the persistent and multifaceted challenge of foundational learning in the Global South. Across diverse linguistic and national contexts—from Ghana and Nigeria to the multi-country landscapes examined by the LITES study—a common narrative emerges: the urgent need to bridge the gap between educational policy, pedagogical practice, and tangible learning outcomes, particularly in literacy.
This special edition explores this complex terrain through four distinct yet profoundly interconnected lenses: the transformative potential of technology, the critical role of teacher competence, the foundational importance of language policy, and the systemic realities of digital integration.
The opening article by Agbesi, Yahaya, Ashong, and Sarpong offers a compelling, ground-level view of pedagogical innovation in Ghanaian early-grade classrooms. Their action research demonstrates how audio-visual aids, strategically aligned with Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning principles, can disrupt classroom monotony and significantly enhance engagement and literacy acquisition among young learners.
Agbesi et al study serves as a vital microcosm of technology's promise, showing that when tools are applied with pedagogical intentionality, they can catalyze learning even in resource-constrained settings. However, it also subtly underscores a recurring theme across all papers: the chasm between potential and practice often hinges on access and educator readiness.
This theme of pedagogical readiness is taken up directly by Maor, Akabogu, and Nnamani in their investigation of primary school teachers’ competence in phonics instruction in Nigeria. Their findings are a sobering reminder that no methodological approach—no matter how evidence-based—can succeed without skilled implementation.
The identified deficit in teacher competence in phonics, a cornerstone of early reading identified in Maor et al study, points to a systemic failure in both pre-service and in-service teacher professional development.
Maor et al paper argues compellingly that addressing "reading poverty" necessitates a parallel investment in "teaching quality," ensuring educators are not merely aware of effective approaches but are proficient in delivering them.
Expanding the discourse to the systemic and ethical dimensions of technology, the contribution by Vajime, Orkaa, Aju, and Gbushu provides a crucial macro-diagnosis of ICT’s role in mitigating learning poverty in Nigeria. Vajime et al study is significant for its unflinching duality: it does not merely celebrate ICT’s potential as a transformative shift but meticulously charts the perilous gap between that potential and Nigeria’s current reality. Their analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic’s exposure of Nigeria’s technological paralysis underscores how learning poverty is exacerbated by preparedness poverty.
Furthermore, their strategic roadmap outlines the essential pillars of infrastructure, curriculum reform, teacher capacity building, and equitable access—arguing persuasively that technological tools alone are futile without systemic support. Most critically, the paper introduces a necessary cautionary note, detailing the risks of distraction, misinformation, and superficial engagement, and reminding us that technology is a pedagogical tool, not a pedagogical solution. Their work acts as both an architectural blueprint and an ethical compass for meaningful digital integration.
Finally, the Language of Instruction Transition in Education (LITES) research brief expands our gaze to the macro-level systems that shape all pedagogical activity. This multi-country study from Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, the Philippines, Mozambique, and Mali illuminates the profound complexities of implementing mother tongue-based multilingual education policies. The LITES study moves beyond technical debates to highlight the ecosystem of implementation—the vital need for stakeholder alignment, community voice, and political will. The LITES framework reminds us that a teacher’s practice in a phonics lesson or their use of a digital tool does not occur in a vacuum; it is enabled or constrained by broader language-of instruction policies, resource allocation, and societal attitudes.
Collectively, these four articles form a powerful and integrated examination of the literacy challenge. They move from the pedagogical tool (A-V aids), to the practitioner (teacher competence), to the systemic and ethical scaffold (ICT integration), and finally to the policy and systemic ecosystem (language of instruction transitions).
Each layer is interdependent. The most engaging technology falters without a skilled teacher and supportive infrastructure; the most competent teacher is hindered by ambiguous policy or scarce resources; and the soundest policy remains inert without effective classroom-level strategies and equitable digital access.
As Editor, I present these works not as isolated case studies but as convergent pathways toward a common goal: dismantling barriers to foundational learning. They call for an integrated approach where technological innovation, deep and continuous teacher professional development, critical digital literacy, and coherent, context-sensitive language policies are synergistically aligned.
I hope that the insights contained herein will inform scholars, policymakers, and practitioners committed to the critical work of ensuring that every child, in every classroom, acquires the foundational literacy skills that are their right and our shared imperative.
Hellen Inyega (PhD)
University of Nairobi, Kenya
Editor
