BLENDED LEARNING AND REFUGEES’ EMPOWERMENT THROUGH A CAPABILITY APPROACH LENS MONA YOUNES This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy February 2020 Department of Educational Research DEDICATION To my parents (May God bless their souls), to my family and friends, past and present, here and there With endless love and gratitude 1 Declaration This thesis has not been submitted in support of an application for another degree at this or any other university. It is the result of my own work and includes nothing that is the outcome of work done in collaboration except where specifically indicated. Many of the ideas in this thesis were the product of discussion with my supervisor. MONA YOUNES Lancaster University, UK 2 Abstract This study analyses the learning experiences of three Syrian refugee youth who enrolled in and completed blended learning (BL) programmes in Jordan, in order to explicate how BL has/or has not empowered those refugees. To achieve this objective, the following research questions framed this study: Does blended learning empower Syrian refugee youth living in Jordan? 1. Is blended learning, in the case of Syrian refugee youth, an empowering capability? 2. Does blended learning help Syrian refugee youth to overcome their restrictive ‘rules of the game’? 3. Does blended learning improve Syrian refugee youth’s resource portfolio? This study followed a case study approach. Three Syrian youth, each of whom attended a different BL programme, were interviewed between December 2018 and March 2019. While all three cases expressed aspirations that are education-bound, this study shows some difference in the aspirations of males and females and of urban refugees versus those residing in the camps. BL has been for all three cases a feasible learning opportunity. Programme providers designed the courses in a manner that accommodated to refugees’ locations, time, and economic status. Social media disseminated information about educational opportunities and possessing smartphones made following up with lectures and assignments possible and easy. The investigated BL programmes proved also to be enjoyable due to their constructive, learner-centred and collaborative approach, and competent facilitators. However, this finding does not indicate that those programmes were “empowering”. Restrictive legislations that constrain refugees’ work, movement, and lives, as well as patriarchal traditions that hampered females’ choices of education, were “rules of the game” that hindered students’ ability to fully benefit from the provided programmes. Despite the development of oral and public speaking, employability, and English language skills and despite the enhancement of self-esteem, confidence, and respect towards others, those programmes did not lead to refugees’ full empowerment. 3 Acknowledgements I humbly thank God for lighting this path to knowledge and bestowing me with insight that aids understanding. Without His blessings I would not have been able to pursue this work. To Him I owe everything I have learned and all that I have become. I would like to express my deepest gratitude first to my husband, Ahmed, whose support and help throughout this journey have meant the world to me. Thank you for being always there for me with advice and selfless support. In addition, I would like to extend my gratitude to my three daughters, who believed in me, even without much verbal expression, but that is something that I have always deeply felt. Additionally, I need to thank and express my gratitude to my parents. Despite the fact that they were long gone before this journey even started, without their teachings to aspire high and never give up, I would not have pursued this endeavour. I am also indebted to the three research cases, Samed, Mahmoud, and Amani, who sacrificed valuable time and dedication for this research. I am deeply grateful to them. Most importantly, I am grateful to Dr. Murat Ostok who provided me with the freedom to find my way, while patiently providing invaluable feedback and advice. He was a real trustful mentor. I extend my appreciation and gratitude as well to all my friends, past and present, around the world, who inspired, supported, and encouraged me endlessly. While not being able to support me financially, my ex-managers back in Egypt decided to encourage me by only calling me “Dr. Mona”, insisting that they will hold to that until they see me graduating with a PhD. Calling me by this title goes back more than 15 years, but has had an everlasting impact on my ambition and enthusiasm to overcome countless obstacles. Thank you, Ustaz Hisham Gafaar and Tawfiq Ghanem and all other colleagues in Egypt and Qatar. On the other side of the globe, I had other supporters, like Dr. Diana Woolis and Julie Kasper from the Carey Institute for Global Good, who helped tremendously to overcome serious obstacles during the data collection phase. Polly Amerherst from Sky School was also an incredibly helpful person liaising access to my research cases. Finally, I wish to thank Mariam Attia whose dissertation inspired me, and whose encouragement was invaluable during difficult times. I am grateful to all of you, more than words can ever express. 4 Table of Contents LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 12 LIST OF TABLES 14 LIST OF FIGURES 15 INTRODUCTION 16 1.1 Background 16 1.2 Empowerment of Refugees through Education 16 1.3 ICT4E in the Refugee Context 17 1.4 Rationale for the Study 18 1.5 Context of the Study 19 1.6 Research Questions 20 1.7 Analytic Framework and Methodology of the Study 20 1.8 Significance of the Study 21 1.9 Overview of the Study 22 CHAPTER 2 23 LITERATURE REVIEW 23 2.1 Introduction 23 2.2 Empowerment 24 2.2.1 Overview. 24 2.2.2 Empowerment and education. 25 2.3 Refugee Education 26 2.3.3 Chronosystem: A global education movement for primary education. 26 2.3.2 Macrosystem: Radical uncertainty. 27 2.3.3 Exosystem: Connected learning in crisis. 29 2.3.4 Mesosystem: Unsupportive educators and complex needs. 29 2.3.5 Microsystem: Racism and being different. 30 5 2.4 The Capability Approach 32 2.4.1 Overview. 32 2.4.2 The capability approach’s main components. 32 2.4.3 Rationale for adopting a capability approach. 35 2.4.4 The choice framework (CF). 36 2.4.5 Rationale for adopting the choice framework. 38 2.4.6 Choice framework challenges and limitations. 38 2.5. Syrian Refugees in Jordan through a Capability Approach Lens 39 2.5.1 Overview of Syrian refugee youth in Jordan. 39 2.5.2 Syrian refugee youth and higher education. 40 2.5.3 Syrian refugee youth and key rules of the game. 41 CHAPTER 3 44 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 44 3.1 Introduction 44 3.2 A Qualitative Research Design 45 3.3 Rationale for Adopting a Qualitative Research Design 45 3.3.1 Representing people’s perspectives. 45 3.3.2 Illustrating people’s multidimensional realities. 46 3.3.3 Incorporating the contextual rules of the game. 46 3.3.4 Investigating phenomenon with little information. 47 3.4 A Case Study Approach 47 3.4.1 Overview. 47 3.4.2 Rationale for adopting a case study approach. 49 3.5 The Selection of Research Cases 50 3.5.1 Overview. 50 3.5.2 Selection criteria. 50 6 3.5.3 The three cases and data saturation. 52 3.5.4 The three selected cases. 53 3.6 Data Collection 54 3.6.1 Overview. 54 3.6.2 Synchronous online data collection. 54 3.6.3 Depth semistructured interviews. 56 3.6.4 Vignettes. 57 3.6.5 A baseline questionnaire. 58 3.6.6 Interaction between data collection methods. 59 3.7 Data Analysis 60 3.7.1 Overview. 60 3.7.2 Data analysis processes. 60 3.8 Safeguarding Validity 63 3.8.1 Triangulation. 63 3.8.2 Discussion of findings with participants. 64 CHAPTER 4 65 RESEARCH ETHICS 65 4.1 Introduction 65 4.2 Vital Ethical Considerations when Researching Refugees 66 4.3 Procedural Ethics versus Ethics in Practice 66 4.4 “Symbolic Violence”: The Asymmetrical Power Relations 67 4.5 Neutrality Versus Solidarity 68 4.6 The Reactivity Trap 70 4.7 Anonymity and Confidentiality 71 4.8 Complexities of Informed Consent 72 4.8.1. The iterative model. 73 7 4.8.2. The option of oral informed consent. 74 4.8.3 The gatekeeper’s noninterventions. 75 4.9 Ethical Reflexivity 76 4.10 Multiple Identities 77 CHAPTER 5 79 FIRST CASE – SAMED AL KHABIRI 79 5.1 Overview 79 5.2 Introduction to Samed’s Profile 80 5.3 Background to SKY School’s Blended Learning Programme 80 5.4 Is Blended Learning, in the Case of Samed, an Empowering Capability? 81 5.4.1 Overview. 81 5.4.2 Samed’s aspirations. 82 5.4.3 Samed’s capabilities. 83 5.4.4 Blended learning: A feasible opportunity. 84 5.4.5 Blended learning: An enjoyable experience. 86 5.4.6 Blended learning: An empowering capability? 87 5.5 Does Blended Learning Help Samed to Overcome Restrictive ‘Rules of the Game’? 89 5.6 Does Blended Learning Impact Samed’s Resource Profile Positively? 91 5.6.1 Self-esteem. 91 5.6.2 English language skills. 92 CHAPTER 6 96 SECOND CASE – MAHMOUD AL-DAWLA 96 6.1 Overview 96 6.2 Introduction to Mahmoud’s Profile 96 6.3 Background to HOPES Blended Learning Programme 97 8 6.4 Is Blended Learning, in the Case of Mahmoud, an Empowering Capability? 97 6.4.1 Mahmoud’s aspirations. 97 6.4.2 Blended learning: A feasible opportunity.