{ "abstract": "Background: Globally, 272 million children and youth were out of school in 2023, nearly half of whom are of secondary school age. Disparities disproportionately affect girls, displaced populations, and rural communities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Digital technologies are increasingly promoted as alternative pathways to re-engage out-of-school youth in secondary education. However, evidence on intervention models, outcomes, and implementation challenges remains fragmented, with no comprehensive synthesis to inform policy and practice. Objective: This scoping review protocol aims to systematically map the available evidence on intervention models, outcomes, and implementation challenges of alternative digital secondary education for marginalized, out-of-school youth in LMICs. Materials and methods: This review will follow Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. The protocol is registered on the Open Science Framework https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/5SRUD. A comprehensive search will be conducted across education, multidisciplinary, health, and regional databases, supplemented by grey literature from international organizations and preprint repositories. Eligible sources include empirical studies, program evaluations, policy documents, and reviews published from 2010 onwards – with no language restrictions, focusing on alternative digital secondary education for marginalized youth aged 13–24 years in LMICs. Two reviewers will independently screen studies and extract data using a standardized form, with a sample verified by a second reviewer. Findings will be synthesized using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis to identify patterns in intervention models, outcomes, implementation factors, and equity considerations. Conclusion: This review will provide the first comprehensive mapping of alternative digital secondary education for marginalized youth in LMICs, synthesizing fragmented evidence across sectors. Findings will inform evidence-based investments – guiding decisions on low-tech versus high-tech approaches, targeting of underserved populations, and priority areas for future evaluation. All data will be made publicly available on OSF. Protocol OSF Registration DOI https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/E8RZ3.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "Population Council, Nairobi, Kenya" ], "article_type": "Study Protocol", "arxiv": null, "author_total": 3, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Jefferson Mwaisaka", "orcid": "0000-0002-1415-5893" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Lilian Agesa" }, { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Ruth Nanjekho", "orcid": "0000-0002-7236-8408" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ampbbhy90y3c7.bib", "cited_by": 0, "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0358760", "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13712531/", "id": "ampbbhy90y3c7", "issns": [ "1932-6203" ], "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358760", "language": "en", "licence": "CC-BY-4.0", "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0", "licence_source": "article", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "heading", "Biology and Life Sciences" ], [ "heading", "Cognitive Neuroscience" ], [ "heading", "Cognitive Psychology" ], [ "heading", "Cognitive Science" ], [ "heading", "Computer Software" ], [ "heading", "Computer and Information Sciences" ], [ "heading", "Database Searching" ], [ "heading", "Database and Informatics Methods" ], [ "heading", "Demography" ], [ "heading", "Earth Sciences" ], [ "heading", "Economic Geography" ], [ "heading", "Economics" ], [ "heading", "Education" ], [ "heading", "Engineering and Technology" ], [ "heading", "Geography" ], [ "heading", "Health Care" ], [ "heading", "Human Learning" ], [ "heading", "Learning" ], [ "heading", "Learning Disabilities" ], [ "heading", "Learning and Memory" ], [ "heading", "Low and Middle Income Countries" ], [ "heading", "Medicine and Health Sciences" ], [ "heading", "Neuroscience" ], [ "heading", "People and Places" ], [ "heading", "Psychological and Psychosocial Issues" ], [ "heading", "Psychology" ], [ "heading", "Refugees" ], [ "heading", "Research and Analysis 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engineering/Computer software" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Health care/Psychological and psychosocial issues" ], [ "plos", "/Research and analysis methods/Database and informatics methods/Database searching" ], [ "plos", "/Social sciences/Economics/Economic geography/Low and middle income countries" ], [ "plos", "/Social sciences/Linguistics/Psycholinguistics" ], [ "plos", "/Social sciences/Psychology/Cognitive psychology/Learning/Human learning" ], [ "plos", "/Social sciences/Sociology/Education/Schools" ] ], "openalex": "W7223832606", "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0358760&type=printable", "pmcid": "PMC13712531", "pmid": "42945226", "published": "2026-10-27", "publisher": "Public Library of Science", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ampbbhy90y3c7.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:17Z", "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0358760", "source": "plos", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358760" }, { "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:23:05Z", "native_id": "PMC13712531", "source": "pmc", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358760" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "biology", "origin": "plos:cognitive neuroscience", "subfield": "neuroscience" }, { "field": "earth", "origin": "heading:Earth Sciences", "subfield": "general" }, { "field": "medicine", "origin": "heading:Medicine and Health Sciences", "subfield": "general" } ], "title": "Alternative digital secondary education for marginalized, out-of-school youth in low- and middle-income countries: Protocol for a scoping review of intervention models, outcomes, and implementation challenges", "title_text": "Alternative digital secondary education for marginalized, out-of-school youth in low- and middle-income countries: Protocol for a scoping review of intervention models, outcomes, and implementation challenges", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-10-31T12:23:05Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ampbbhy90y3c7", "venue": "PLOS One", "versions": [] }