Profiles
Svetlana Poleschuk
Education Researcher (Digital Learning)
Svetlana joined UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti in October 2021. She is working to support the Education Team with qualitative research on digital learning. Svetlana holds a Ph.D. in Political and Social Sciences from the European University Institute (Italy), and a M.A. in Sociology and Social Anthropology from the Central European University (Hungary). Prior to joining Innocenti, Svetlana worked as a lecturer at the European Humanities University (Lithuania). Svetlana’s interests encompass education, career development, high-skilled migration, post-Soviet transformations, social class and inequality.
Publications
Publication
Unlocking Learning: The use of education technology to support disadvantaged children’s language learning and social inclusion in Italy
In Italy, more than 700,000 asylum seekers and migrants arrived in the country between 2014-2020. Newly arrived children including refugees and migrants need to quickly acquire Italian skills to succeed in school and society. To help address this urgent need, the Akelius digital learning application was introduced in Bologna and Rome for Italian and English language learning in the 2021/22 school year. This research presents findings from the first year of implementation of the Akelius digital learning application in Italy. Results show the use of the application supported self-paced learning, boosted students’ motivation and confidence and the use of the tool was especially beneficial for newly arrived children and children with disabilities. The report also explores challenges and good practices to inform improvements in the use of digital learning in classrooms.
Publication
Unlocking Learning: The use of digital learning to support the education and inclusion of refugees and migrant children in Bosnia and Herzegovina
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the number of refugees and migrants arriving in the country has increased from just a few dozen arrivals annually prior to 2017 to 95,000 between 2018 and 2022. This increase has put incredible strain on the country’s education systems.