An Alternative Pattern of Basic Education: Radio Santa Maria. A Study Prepared for the Unesco Institute for Education in Collaboration with the International Educational Reporting Service. [An International Bureau of Education Series:] Experiments and Innovations in Education, No. 30.

Overview & Synopsis

This is a descriptive case study and evaluation of Radio Santa Maria, which provides the Dominican Republic's rural adult population with basic education programs. The report examines the station in the light of five fundamental lifelong education goals: flexibility in the educational process, linkage of educational resources, relating of formal education to daily learning experiences, maturity and self-realization, and the capacity for self direction in learning. The first part, presented briefly in chapters 1-2, describes the socio-economic and educational background of the Dominican Republic and of the students. The second part, chapters 3-5, describes how the Radio Santa Maria model works (including curriculum and educational methodology, etc.) and analyzes the institutional design from the standpoint of realizing lifelong education goals. The third part, chapters 6-9, examines alternative education outcomes. Chapter 6 contains student statistics; Chapter 7 compares radiophonic students' academic achievement with that of students in conventional classrooms; Chapter 8 examines the radiophonic school's influence on students' attitudes and values; and Chapter 9 compares costs per student in radio schools to costs per student in traditional programs. The final chapter summarizes the alternative basic education innovations. Appendixes contain a Dominican Republic map, student statistics, semi- and non-formal education models, budget estimate, and sample program. (CSS)