Field Study in Narobi, Kenya (Ayumu Yagi)

I went to Nairobi, Kenya, from 6 October to 19 December 2022 to collect information for my dissertation. Although my doctoral dissertation will mainly focus on quantitative analysis using household surveys, this opportunity was invaluable for filling up the gap in the dataset. Thanks to a research grant funded by the “Kobe University Premium Program,” I could stay longer than my initial plan. 

During my stay in Nairobi, I reviewed literature related to my dissertation with great assistance from Dr. Francis Likoye Malenya, a lecturer at Kenyatta University. In addition to reviewing the existing literature, Dr Malenya helped me obtain additional literature so I could write one chapter in my doctoral dissertation addressing an overview of pre-primary education in Kenya. Furthermore, purchasing textbooks and teacher guides used in the classroom provided key references to deepen my understanding of the curriculum.

Moreover, I visited local pre-primary schools and established a network with some stakeholders. We visited Gilgil District, Nakuru County, where a former student of Dr Malenya works as a director at the Education Office. The visit enabled me to observe the schools and classrooms while listening to the experiences of the director regarding the progress of the education reform that started in 2017. The school principal and teachers were also friendly and gave me an insight into their classroom activities.

In December, I fortunately had the opportunity to interview the Executive Director of Usawa Agenda (formerly UWEZO), an NGO implementing a large-scale school-based survey in Kenya. It was a valuable experience to ask all the questions I got during my stay in Kenya, and I received answers on a wide range of topics. Moreover, I also discussed the use of secondary data for my dissertation.

Since this research trip was not tight in schedule, I was planning to visit as many institutions as possible. However, I had to limit my sphere of action in Nairobi for security reasons. Although I have some regrets, listening to the voices of people in everyday life, from students to taxi drivers, was a unique experience in the field.

Last but not least, I extend my gratitude to Professor Keiichi Ogawa for supporting my research trip. Furthermore, I also express gratitude to Dr. Francis Likoye Malenya for his kind support in the field. Lastly, I thank Kobe University for giving me the research grant to realize this field study.

Authored by Ayumu Yagi (Doctoral student)