Socio-economic status and cognitive development in childhood and adolescence: Innovative assessment tools for vulnerable populations. The case of Guatemala

• Country: Guatemala
  Location: Villa Nueva, Santa María Chiquimula, Santa Lucía la Reforma
  Start date: 12/11/2018
  End date: 11/11/2020
  Applicant(s): Fundación ETEA
  Local partiner(s): Fe y Alegría Guatemala
  Funder: AACID
  Funding: 77.060,00 EUR
  Research line: Psicology

It has been shown that children/adolescents from families with low socio-economic status have difficulties in their cognitive development (CD) and a decline in their academic performance. The measurement of CD has not usually taken this into account and has not been equipped with tools adapted to social contexts of poverty.

The project adapts cognitive achievement assessment tools to the SES of Guatemalan students in Fe y Alegría schools (6 to 17 years old) and their ability to detect difficulties requiring special educational needs. The project compares two different contexts with low SES, in order to identify elements such as violence, indigenous identity, rural environment or language use, which may be influencing CD, as well as the results offered by cognitive assessment tests recently standardised in Guatemala and other Latin American countries. Capacities will be generated in counsellors and Spanish NGDOs.

This project aims to form part, as an innovative element, of the wider Programme, the Programme for the improvement of educational quality that both Fe y Alegría Guatemala and the International Federation of Fe y Alegría are developing.

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