Project Overview
This international research project examined how the growing use of English as a medium of education shapes gender equality, educational participation, and learning opportunities in low- and middle-income countries. Focusing on Nepal and Nigeria, the study asked whether access to English-medium education expands opportunities for girls—or reproduces existing inequalities along the lines of gender, socioeconomic status, language, ethnicity, and other forms of marginalization.
English-medium education (EME) is increasingly associated with educational quality, social mobility, and future economic opportunities across low- and middle-income countries. Yet access to these perceived benefits is far from equal.
Using a feminist intersectional lens, this project investigated how language of instruction intersects with gender and other forms of social inequality. Research was conducted in secondary schools in Nepal and Nigeria, comparing students’ experiences across English-, Nepali-, and Hausa-medium educational settings.
Particular attention was given to girls from economically disadvantaged and minoritized communities, asking whether the expansion of English-medium education creates new opportunities or reinforces existing patterns of educational exclusion.
Project at a Glance
Principal Investigator
Prof. Kristina Hultgren, The Open University
Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Pramod K. Sah
[Co-conceptualized the project and contributed to securing the research funding, supervised data collection in Nepal, and contributed to data analysis. My formal involvement concluded following a change in institutional affiliation in August 2022.]
Co-Investigators
Prof. Freda Wolfenden
Dr. Lorena Lombardozzi
The Open University
Consortium Partner
British Council
Focus Countries
Nepal · Nigeria
Project Period
April 2022 – March 2024
Research Questions
01
How does English-medium education mediate educational access and participation for girls in low- and middle-income countries?
02
To what extent does English-medium education affect girls’ learning?
03
To what extent does English-medium education disadvantage girls, and are particular groups of girls at greater risk?
Key Findings
English as a Gender Divider: One of the project’s central findings was that girls were substantially underrepresented in English-medium education in the schools studied. Across the surveyed contexts, approximately one girl was enrolled in EME for every three boys. The findings suggest that the expansion of English-medium education can therefore operate as a gender divider, even when EME is formally available to both girls and boys.
Gender, Class, and Language: Access to English-medium education was shaped by the intersection of gender and socioeconomic inequality. In Nepal, for example, additional costs associated with English-medium streams could discourage economically disadvantaged families from enrolling their daughters. Where greater resources were directed toward English-medium provision, students who already possessed social and economic advantages could benefit disproportionately.
Sociocultural Expectations: Girls’ participation was also influenced by broader expectations concerning marriage, education, employment, and gender roles. English was frequently imagined as an investment connected to higher education and professional mobility, particularly for boys. For some girls expected to marry early or assume domestic responsibilities, families perceived English as less necessary or valuable.
Publications & Outputs
Hultgren, A. K., Wingrove, P., Wolfenden, F., & Greenfield, M., O’Hagan, L., Upadhaya, A., Lombardozzi, L., Sah, P. K., Adamu, A., Tsiga, I. A., Umar, A., & Veitch, A. (2024). British Council, London
Hultgren, A. K., Upadhaya, A., O’Hagan, L., Wingrove, P., Adamu, A., Greenfield, M., Lombardozzi, L., Sah, P. K., Tsiga, I. A., Umar, A., & Wolfenden, F. (2024). English-medium education and the perpetuation of girls’ disadvantage: Parental investment and gendered aspirations in Nepal. English Today, 40(3), 219-225. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078424000075
Hultgren, A. K., Upadhaya, A., O’Hagan, L., Wingrove, P., Adamu, A., Greenfield, M., Lombardozzi, L., Sah, P. K., Tsiga, I. A., Umar, A., & Wolfenden, F. (2023). Educación en inglés y la perpetuación de la desigualdad de las niñas inversión parental y aspiraciones de género en Nepal. Cuadernos de Pedagogia, 543, https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=9021887#