Insights

A global dialogue in education matters. The ability to learn from international experiences, adapt evidence-based policies, and co-develop solutions across borders is crucial in navigating the increasingly complex landscape of education reform. EDT convened its third Global Dialogue event in January 2025, bringing together policymakers, educators and partners to explore key educational challenges, discuss learnings and best practices, and identify scalable, contextually relevant strategies for reform.

Having made a dramatic impact on over 650 schools and multi-academy trusts since its launch in 2021, the Behaviour Hubs programme is coming to an end in April 2025. In this article, Senior Programme Manager Richard Warenisca explains that schools are facing increasingly complex challenges in behaviour management, and that school leaders and teachers urgently need more support.

Mark De Backer, Head of Careers at EDT, reflects on the government’s ambition to give all school and college students the opportunity to improve their future job prospects by undertaking two weeks’ work experience.

We are delighted to share our latest annual impact reviews. This year we have produced a global highlights review, along with three regional reviews detailing our impact in the UK, the Global South, and the Middle East and Asia.

Cognitive load theory can inform curriculum design and classroom practices, offering concrete strategies to improve student outcomes. Dr Richard Churches, our Director of Research and author of the book Neuroscience for Teachers, and Dr David Johnson of the University of Oxford, discuss the potential of using CLT as part of curriculum design.

It is well established that continuous professional development (CPD) is a key component in developing and improving professional practice, writes early childhood education specialist Jan Dubiel. But what makes CPD so effective, and why is it so important in early childhood education (ECE)?

EDT was proud to lead a recent scoping study on education system resilience (ESR), on behalf of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). As a part of GPE KIX's Observatory Initiative, this study, Education System Resilience: GEP KIX Study Working Paper, explores how countries understand ESR and examines the policies and practices in place for system strengthening, and to anticipate, plan for, prevent, and mitigate future crises.

The African Union (AU) Year of Education is stimulating important discussions about the stark reality of educational underachievement in Africa, and galvinising political will around the urgent and critical need for action. However, solving the foundational learning crisis is not enough – we must also tackle Africa’s youth unemployment crisis.

The transitions from school to higher education and employment can have a significant impact on an individual’s lifetime potential. Earlier in 2023, we conducted a literature review to help us understand the challenges that girls in low-resource settings face when making their transitions. In this article we reflect on the findings of the report, the promising interventions it highlights, and some key lessons for policymakers.

Education technology (edtech) is a huge and multifaceted area, and it has the potential to contribute to every aspect of school life and approach to education reform. Edtech can support learning and behaviour change, enable greater engagement across the education sector, and provide opportunities for better inclusion of marginalised and hard-to-reach communities.

EDT has been the strategic partner of the Dubai government’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) since 2006, providing support relating to the improvement of private schools through inspection. In this insight piece, our Education Director, Tony McAleavy, analyses the extent to which the KHDA inspection system has contributed to the measurable improvement in learning outcomes in Dubai private schools.

Since 2010, school absence rates in England have gradually increased, and were undoubtedly exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite a small decrease in persistent absences from 2022 to 2023, attendance rates have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. In this article, we explore the causes of persistent school absences, and identify promising interventions to ensure more pupils in England consistently attend school.