Projects per year
Personal profile
Research Group or Lab Membership
Key Research Interests
Catherine's research interests centre on exploring how institutional and social barriers to education in developing country contexts are challenged and disrupted. Key research areas include gender equality and education, non-formal approaches to youth and adult literacy and learning, and the social drivers and mitigation of the impact of HIV/AIDS on education. Her geographical focus is East Africa, with particular expertise in Malawi.
She specialises in mixed-methods research designs, with a focus on participatory and transformative approaches to research and evaluation.
A key area of research and action is that of School-Related Gender-Based Violence (SRGBV), from early research into the prevalence, support and reporting mechanisms under the USAID-funded Safe Schools Program, to policy-related research and advocacy, including policy briefs, blogs and membership of the Global Working Group to End SRGBV.
Biography
Catherine's background is in education and international development, working across research, evaluation, training and practice. Before joining the School of International Development in 2015, Catherine was a member of the Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report team at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Prior to this, she spent almost a decade working with the Centre for Educational Research and Training (CERT) at the University of Malawi, as Research Fellow and Deputy Director. During that time Catherine led several research projects and consultancies within Malawi and the wider Eastern and Southern Africa region, providing policy-related and action research, needs assessment, and monitoring and evaluation of educational interventions for government, development agencies and INGOs (including UNICEF, USAID, FCDO, GIZ and Plan Malawi). She led the Malawi component of the multi-country ESRC-DFID Joint Scheme project 'Strengthening Open and Flexible Learning for increased Education Access in high HIV prevalence SADC countries' and coordinated research for the USAID-funded 'Safe Schools Program' and the GIZ-funded pilot of the successful Complementary Basic Education programme in Malawi.
She also developed, and taught, core courses and distance learning modules for an upgrading Diploma programme for secondary science teachers in Malawi, and led research methods training for postgraduate students, university staff and government extension officers.
More recently, Catherine has been co-researcher on the ESRC Learning Outcomes project 'Accountablity for Gender Equality in Education' and the GCRF-funded Family Literacy sub-project under UEA's GS-DEV programme of research. She also regularly provides expertise for research and policy-related consultancies at the nexus of education and gender, violence and community participation.
She is an Academic Associate with the National Foundation for Educational Research in the UK and a founding member of the UNESCO-led consortium on boys' disengagement from education.
Academic Background
Catherine has a PhD in Education and International Development awarded by the Institute of Education, University of London. Her PhD thesis explored the factors that challenge and support educational access and attainment of children of HIV/AIDS-affected households, using this information to design, pilot and evaluate a school-based flexible learning intervention to support orphaned and vulnerable children.
Administrative Posts
Deputy Chair, University of East Anglia Research Ethics Committee
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
External positions
Executive Committee, The Education and Development Forum
2017 → …
Network
Projects
- 3 Finished
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Meeting the SDGs: creating innovative infrastructures and policy solutions to support sustainable development in Global South communities (GS-DEV).
Lettice, F., Cornea, C., Jere, C., Mayes, A., McNeil, J., Minns, A., Qi, S., Rao, N., Robinson-Pant, A., McDonagh, T., Millora, C. & Smith, A.
1/10/19 → 30/09/21
Project: Research
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Accountability for gender equality in education: Critical perspectives on an indicator framework for the SDGs
Jere, C., Unterhalter, E. & Vaughan, R.
Economic and Social Research Council
1/01/18 → 31/05/21
Project: Research
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Leave No Child Behind: Global report on boys' disengagement from education
Jere, C., Eck, M. & Zubairi, A., 22 Jan 2022, Paris, France: UNESCO. 147 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
Open Access -
2022 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report: Building equal and inclusive societies.
United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, 2021, Bonn : United Nations Volunteers.Research output: Other contribution
Open Access -
Cooperation, collaboration and compromise: Learning through difference and diversity
Jere, C., Priyadharshini, E., Robinson-Pant, A., Millora, C. & Evren, B., 23 Sep 2021, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Educational Action Research.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile13 Downloads (Pure) -
Indigenous adult women, learning and social justice: challenging deficit discourses in the current policy environment
Jere, C., Robinson-Pant, A. & Acharya, S., 2021, Indigenous Women and Adult Learning. Aikman, S. & Robinson-Pant, A. (eds.). Routledge, p. 136-157 21 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
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Reducing School Dropout Rates in Malawi and Lesotho
Jere, C. & Tofaris, E., 1 Feb 2021, 3 p. Institute of Development Studies (IDS).Research output: Other contribution
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure)
Prizes
Activities
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Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (External organisation)
Catherine Jere (Chair)
20 Dec 2021 → …Activity: Membership › Peer review panel
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UNESCO International webinar on Family Literacy and Indigenous Learning
Catherine Jere (Chair), Gina Lontoc (Chair), Anna Robinson-Pant (Host) & Chris Millora (Contributor)
10 Dec 2021Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Public lecture/debate/seminar
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UKFIET 'Meet the Editors'
Catherine Jere (Chair) & Maia Chankseliani (Chair)
15 Oct 2021Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in external training
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UKFIET 2021 Conference 'Building Back Education and Training' : Reimagining, Reorientating and Redistributing
Catherine Jere (Speaker), Anna Robinson-Pant (Speaker), Gina Lontoc (Speaker), Ahmmardouh Mjaya (Speaker), Sheila Aikman (Speaker), Kamal Raj Devkota (Speaker), Turuwark Zalalam Warkineh (Speaker), Camilla Vizconde (Speaker) & Chris Millora (Speaker)
16 Sep 2021Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participation in conference
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Education and Development Public Seminar: 'Supporting Factors and Barriers to Active Citizenship for Adult Learners in China, Costa Rica, Kuwait and Russia.
Catherine Jere (Participant)
9 Dec 2020Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Public lecture/debate/seminar
Press/Media
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Meeting commitments to gender equality in education
21/03/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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School-related gender-based violence is a major barrier to education equality
13/05/15
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Good news: UNESCO’s Executive Board unanimously sign up to protect “Learning without Fear”
28/04/15
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media