Dr Harry Kuchah has received the American Association For Applied Linguistics 2026 Research Article Award.
Dr Harry Kuchah, Associate Professor of Language, Social Justice and Education, in the School of Education has been named a winner of the American Association For Applied Linguistics (AAAL) 2026 Research Article Award.
The AAAL Research Article award honours an outstanding, peer-reviewed journal article, recognised by leaders in the field to be high-quality, original and impactful on language-related human and world issues. It is awarded annually and is internationally regarded within the field of applied linguistics.
The winning article, Umuzigo w’inyongera: girls’ differential experiences of the double-burden of language and gender in Rwandan English medium secondary education, was published in the journal Language and Education. Dr Kuchah co-authored the paper with Professor Lizzi O. Milligan and Dr Terra Sprague from the University of Bath; Dr Aline Dorimana, Aloysie Uwizeyemariya and Professor Alphonse Uworwabayeho from the University of Rwanda; and Dr Laela Adamson from the University of Strathclyde.
Gender equality is a key pillar of the Rwandan government. Following significant investment, there has been success in achieving gender parity in education, particularly in terms of access, with girls outnumbering boys in primary and lower secondary education. However, questions remain about inequities of learning outcomes and transition to university. The authors of the article argue that learning in an unfamiliar language of learning and teaching (LoLT) negatively impacts Rwandan girls in the early years of lower secondary education.
Kinyarwanda is the home language for the majority of children in the country. However, English is the LoLT from the first day of primary school following a 2019 policy shift removing Kinyarwanda as the LoLT in the first three years.
Although the use of an unfamiliar LoLT presents challenges for both boys and girls, the researchers show that, when combined with gendered factors – particularly in relation to responsibility for household chores, gendered behavioural expectations, and worry about gender-based harassment and violence – these challenges are compounded for girls.
Based on classroom observation and interviews, the researchers developed five typologies: girls who are ‘At a tipping point’, ‘At risk’, ‘The teachers’ favourites’, ‘Going against the odds’, and ‘Using multiple strategies’. Through the development of these typologies, they explored how inequalities in time, space, material and emotional support faced by girls were exacerbated by the use of an unfamiliar LoLT.
They conceptualise this intersection of language and gender as umuzigo w’inyongera - a Kinyarwandan phrase that they translate as ‘double burden’. This connects to, and extends, existing use of the concept of ‘burden’ used extensively in the gender and education literature to describe girls’ gendered responsibilities. However, it is also steered by the girls whose voices are at the centre of this research and who spoke both about the physical obstacles they faced, but also about the socio-emotional toll. They articulated feelings of discouragement from teachers and peers, self-criticism for not being able to find time for additional revision, and shame in relation to talking English in the classroom. Moreover, several girls talked about the impact of feeling fearful for their physical safety both in school and when travelling between school and home.
The researchers conclude that LoLT is a gendered issue and advocate for greater attention to be paid to the role of language in global and national girls’ education policy, planning and research to alleviate the ‘double burden’ that many girls carry.
It is a real marker of the excellence and impact of the research taking place within our School.
In selecting the paper for the award, the committee lauded the article for its “theoretical contribution, originality and real-world relevance”, making it a “compelling and deserving recipient of this year’s award”.
Congratulating Dr Kuchah on the award, Professor Karen Guldberg, Head of the School of Education, said: “This achievement is extremely well deserved for Harry, who has made a truly fantastic contribution since joining the School of Education. It is also a real marker of the excellence and impact of the research taking place within our School. Huge congratulations to Harry and his colleagues on this remarkable achievement!”
On receiving the award, Dr Kuchah said: “I am delighted to have worked with a formidable team of colleagues on a truly collaborative project on gender justice in Rwandan Basic Education. This article is the outcome of a work ethos which prioritised equitable collaboration, engaging discussions and an enabling space for negotiation of meaning across languages and cultures.’
Dr Kuchah is an Associate Professor of Language, Social Justice and Education in the Department of Education and Social Justice (ESJ) at the School of Education. The department is home to leading authorities in history, politics, sociology, and education, dedicated to creating a more equitable and just world, where education serves as a powerful tool for transformation and empowerment.
Other outputs from this research project include:
Kuchah, K, Adamson, L, Dorimana, A, Uwizeyemariya, A, Uworwabayeho, A & Milligan, LO 2022, 'Silence and silencing in the classroom: Rwandan girls’ epistemic exclusion in English medium basic education', Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development.
Uworwabayeho, A, Milligan, L.O. & Kuchah, H 2021, 'Mapping the emergence of a gender gap in English in Rwandan primary and secondary schools', Issues in Educational Research, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 1312-1329.
Associate Professor of Language, Social Justice and Education
Dr Harry Kuchah's research looks at social and epistemic (in)justice in two main areas of Language education - the practice of TESOL and English medium education (EME).
