Designing Gender-Responsive, Technology-Enhanced Curricula for 21st-Century Skills in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone: A Framework for Fragile Contexts

This study addresses the intersection of gender inequality, technological exclusion, and curriculum inadequacies in Sierra Leone’s post-conflict secondary education system. Combining participatory action research and policy analysis, it asks: How can Sierra Leone’s national curriculum be redesigned through gender-responsive pedagogy and low-cost EdTech to equip students—particularly girls—with 21st-century skills? The project will co-design a curriculum framework with teachers, students, and policymakers, pilot localized EdTech tools (e.g., solar-powered tablets with offline STEM content), and propose scalable policy reforms. Situated within Sierra Leone’s post-Ebola and post-war recovery context, the research advances global debates on education in fragile states while contributing actionable strategies to achieve SDG4 and SDG5.