4459 - DECODING DIVERSITY: LITERACY THROUGH A LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAK LENS IN SUB- SAHARAN AFRICA

Session: 4457 - LITERACY ACQUISITION IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
AUTHORS:
Otieno-Leppänen Susannah (University of Jyväskylä, Finland Great Lakes University, Kisumu ~ Jyväskylä, ~ Finland) , Mekdes Assefa (Great Lakes University, Kisumu ~ Kisumu ~ Kenya) , Wafula Wafula C (Great Lakes University, Kisumu ~ Kisumu ~ Kenya) , Samuel Juma (University of Jyväskylä Finland ~ Jyväskylä ~ Finland) , Leppänen Paavo (University of Jyväskylä Finland ~ Jyväskylä ~ Finland)
Abstract text:
Sub-Saharan Africa possess a remarkable linguistic and cultural diversity
of more than 2000 spoken languages (excluding Arabic, Malagasy,
Afrikaans, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese (Heine & Nurse
2000). Despite various interventions, research and related reports,
literacy levels in the region remain below global averages with an
average literacy rate of only 65% (Macrotrends, 2023; World Population
Review, 2025). In this systematic review we explore empirical evidence
on how linguistic and cultural contexts influence literacy outcomes across the region. In our analysis we also explore teacher preparedness in
language of instruction