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SPINE: Student Performance in National Examinations - the dynamics of language in school achievement.
This project is about the study of children in sub-saharan Africa who demonstrate their subject learning through formal examinations that are in English. In many of these contexts, the children learn their Maths, Science and other school subjects through two languages, that is their first (home) language as well as their second language.
Incompetence in English has been mentioned as a significant factor contributing to low examination performance and some researchers have argued that the language of examinations should be in the children’s first language. This research is concerned with investigating the dynamics of languages (English and Kiswahili) in formal school examinations through which children attempt to show how much they have learned in school.
Specific information for ...
SPINE Brochure (click on image to view the brochure, PDF 1011.3 kb)
Latest news
2-3 December 2010 - SUZA-SPINE International Symposium2010, State University of Zanzibar, Zanzibar
27th-29th April 2010 - Communication workshops for examination personnel
20-22nd November 2009 - Bristol team members attended Language Testing Forum in Luton
6th November 2009 - Bristol and Zanzibar Research Teams held Advisory Group Meeting in Zanzibar
2nd November 2009 - Zanzibar Research Team welcomed Bristol members for a one week visit.
7th October 2009 - Bristol welcomed two colleagues from Zanzibar Research Team.
Partners
SPINE is a collaborative project between the University of Bristol and the State University of ZanzibarState University of Zanzibar website
Funders
Abdulla Hemed Mohamed, Zanzibar Research Associate, introduces the collaborative SPINE project between the State University of Zanzibar and the University of Bristol.