Publications » Policy Briefs

PB 11: Longitudinal data sets in education (342.5 kB)

November 2011

Sally Thomas and Massoud Salim

Collecting longitudinal data on educational achievement allows schools and governments allows schools and governments to evaluate school effectiveness. Evidence is provided from China and Zanzibar.

PB 10: A good quality education arises from interaction between three enabling environments: policy, the school, and the home and community. (540.5 kB)

November 2010

Professor Leon Tikly.

This policy brief establishes a model for good quality education. It prioritises context in any situation but suggests that quality education arises from interaction between three key environments.

PB 9: Quality Early Childhood Care and Education helps provide the best start for young lives. (565.7 kB)

November 2010

Dr Rita Chawla-Duggan with Dr Kafui Etsey and Professor Vrinda Datta

This policy brief looks at research that shows early childhood care and education to be a significant factor in tackling wider issues of inclusion and equality. However it argues that there is still some way to go in developing adequate links between early childhood care and further education.

PB 8: Research Capacity Building: Learning from the EdQual RPC. (536.8 kB)

November 2010

Dr. Angeline Barrett, Professor Michael Crossley and Dr. Hillary Dachi.

This policy brief looks at the work of EdQual as a large research consortia and uses it to demonstrate how such a project can create new opportunities for Southern research engagement and leadership, ensuring that research meets southern knowledge needs and building capacity as an integral part of the research process.

PB 7: Promoting Inclusive Education in Papua New Guinea (PNG). (1.5 MB)

November 2010

Guy Le Fanu.

This policy brief looks at the introduction of a new ‘inclusive’ national curriculum in Papua New Guinea. It links to research that suggests that the new agenda has not changed teaching or learning practice in rural or remote schools.

PB 6: Primary School Leadership for Quality Improvement in Ghana and Tanzania. (696.4 kB)

November 2010

Dr Hillary Dachi and Dr George Aduro.

This policy brief looks at findings from Tanzania and Ghana and draws their conclusions together. The brief recognises the role of action research in allowing headteachers to improve primary schools.

PB 5: Leadership and Management of Change for Quality Improvement - Ghana (481.2 kB)

October 2010

Dr. George K.T. Oduro and Dr. Rosemary Bosu.

This policy brief cites survey data to suggest that head teachers in Ghana see themselves more as administrators rather than those responsible for change. The brief recommends that head teachers should be encouraged to act as leaders and evaluators in order to increase efficiency and make the promotion of learning the pivotal point of school activity.

PB 4: Primary School Leadership for Education Quality in Tanzania (592.9 kB)

October 2010

Dr. Hillary Dachi, with input from the Leadership and Management project team

This policy brief suggests that the role of head teachers is key to improving the quality of education for the most disadvantaged. It assesses the increasingly decentralised nature of education and recommends that local quality improvement initiatives as well as staff training can bring the most out of school leaders.

PB 3: Using ICT to Support Science and Mathematics Education in Rwanda (513.8 kB)

September 2010

Rosamund Sutherland, with input from the Use of ICT Project Team

This policy brief suggests investment in ICT in Rwandan schools will only impact on education quality if young people are allowed student-centred, hands-on learning with ICT, and teacher professional development is key. Teacher professional development networks should be promoted, building on the model developed in the EdQual project.

PB 2: Language of Instruction and Quality of Learning in Tanzania and Ghana (366.7 kB)

September 2010

John Clegg, with input from the Language and Literacy Project Team

This policy brief supports arguments to extend quality mother-tongue education and suggests changes to teacher education/ development and textbook readability to address the impact of language of instruction. It draws on EdQual research that shows how the language used in classrooms impacts on teaching strategies.

PB 1: Determinants of Primary Students' Attainment in Africa (994.3 kB)

September 2010

Angeline Barrett, Michelle Smith

This policy brief suggests targeted investment, basic learning resources and skilled school leadership are key in addressing primary attainment in Africa. It draws on EdQual research using data on 17,000 pupils and their teachers in 1000 primary schools across six countries in East and Southern Africa that identified factors in and out of school affecting pupil scores in reading and maths tests.