Literacy impact studies in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu

During 1998–99, two separate studies to evaluate the impact of new literacy programs on pupils’ achievement were conducted in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu primary schools by a team of local teachers, an external consultant and the staff of a regional program entitled Basic Education and Literacy Support (BELS). The studies were sponsored by the BELS Program as a part of its strategy to monitor the impact of its ideas and its in-service training for teachers on literacy education. The studies adopted a cross-sectional design, contrasting project schools with control group schools and included a sample of 19 schools, 10 in the first study in Solomon Islands and 9 in the second study in Vanuatu. Data on the literacy achievements of pupils at Years 3 and 4 in these schools were collected. This chapter reports on the design, fieldwork and findings of the two impact studies.