An article co-authored by Professor Keiichi Ogawa received the Japan Society for International Development's “Special Award of the Prize Selection Committee”

A co-authored paper titled “Language of Instruction and Learning Achievements Inequalities in Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa: A Residualized Quantile Regression Analysis Using PASEC Data” by Jean-Baptiste M.B. Sanfo, a lecturer at Shiga Prefectural University and an alumnus of the Ogawa Seminar, doctoral student Abdoul-Karim Soubeiga, and Professor Keiichi Ogawa of Kobe University, received the “Special Prize by the Award Selection Committee” at the 35th Annual Conference of the Japan Society for International Development (JASID).

The paper examines how the language of instruction is associated with inequalities in student learning outcomes across 14 francophone countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, using PASEC 2019 data. In particular, it compares students taught only in the official language with those taught through bilingual or multilingual approaches, focusing on differences in reading and mathematics achievement.

The analysis shows that the effects of language of instruction are not uniform. Rather than one approach benefiting all learners equally, the results suggest that advantages and disadvantages vary depending on students’ performance levels, as well as on whether they live in urban or rural areas. The study therefore highlights the importance of language-in-education policies that are sensitive to student characteristics and local contexts.

This award-winning paper reflects an important contribution to research on educational equity in multilingual contexts and offers policy-relevant evidence for improving learning opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa.