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This report by Dr Richard Churches, EDT’s Director of Research, sets out a powerful case for basing the design of education reform policy on evidence, and a systemic view of the action needed to transform learning outcomes across large networks of schools.

While gender disparities in the teaching workforce persist worldwide, the issue is particularly prominent in crisis- and conflict-affected contexts, with notable shortages of female teachers, especially at secondary level. Closing these gender gaps is an important factor in supporting educational opportunities and increasing attainment for girls in these settings.

Across the world, disease outbreaks have negative impacts on children’s learning, safety and wellbeing. As the Covid-19 pandemic draws on, the education sector must urgently learn how to mitigate its effects on learners in a wide variety of countries. Our Principal Consultant, Joe Hallgarten, reflects on evidence from the Ebola crisis in West Africa and the lessons that can be applied in the context of Covid-19.

Improving learning outcomes for girls requires gender-sensitive, participatory, and context-driven solutions. In this commentary, we reflect on the results of a recent baseline analysis conducted for our latest pilot intervention under the Building Learning Foundations Programme – the launch of girls’ clubs in Rwanda.

Our approach to improving outcomes for girls through better quality pedagogy is based on a rigorous and holistic understanding of what it takes to change the behaviour of all actors in schools and across local and national systems. This includes leaders, teachers and learners – we call it ‘Good quality pedagogy for learning and equity.’ In this commentary, we discuss the key aspects of our approach to this critical issue for improving learning for all girls and boys across the world.

The Connected Learning Centre (CLC), part of Education Development Trust, supports schools and other settings in using digital technologies creatively and critically. Importantly, it makes technology accessible to girls through the use of gender-responsive pedagogy– and engages teachers, leaders, parents and communities to do the same.

If we are going to make instruction design as effective as possible and embrace the full potential of edtech to enhance learning experiences, it is important for us to understand how the brain functions and apply principles from the biology of learning and cognitive psychology to create effective learning materials.

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.

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.

With increasing recognition of the importance of effective early childhood education, it is crucial that we consider the training and development available to those working with the youngest children. In this think piece, we consider key elements of the Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYPDP) in England, and what lessons the success of this programme may hold for future initiatives in the sector.