Following the establishment of a conceptual and analytical framework to guide their work, the STRIDE partners are now working on identifying effective policy initiatives and interventions designed to address inequalities in individual learning outcomes over time. This process involves examining longitudinal data from five European countries to uncover insights into how other social policies – such as employment, family support, and child welfare – might influence the outcomes of education initiatives. To achieve this, they are conducting a qualitative inquiry into the policymaking processes, aiming to understand the broader implications of these intersecting domains.
Analysis of existing longitudinal and registry data
This project’s workstream focuses on case studies conducted in five different countries. It utilises existing population-based longitudinal data from Hungary, Norway, Poland, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, it employs population registry data from Denmark, Norway, and Poland to enrich its findings and draw more comprehensive conclusions about the influences on educational outcomes.
This approach aims to provide a clearer picture of how different factors interact and influence educational outcomes over time.
STRIDE project partners are currently gathering literature and data for their respective national reports, which will focus on reforms in early childhood education and how effective these reforms are in mitigating educational inequalities in each partner country. These reports will present case studies conducted in each of the partners’ countries to uncover new perspectives on how pupils progress within the education systems. The insights gained will provide valuable input for policymaking.
In late May, the STRIDE partners will meet in Krakow for a Consortium meeting, where they will discuss the next phases of the project. During this meeting, drafts of the national reports will be presented and reviewed.
Qualitative enquiry into cross-sectoral policymaking process
In addition to the quantitative data analysis, all partners will conduct interviews with policymakers and perform media-analyses to understand the effectiveness of early childhood education policies from multiple perspectives and dimensions. As the leaders of these qualitative components of this workstream of the project, which focuses on identifying effective policy initiatives and interventions, our colleagues from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens have developed interview questions designed to assess the effectiveness of early childhood education reforms in mitigating educational inequalities from the perspectives of policymakers and key stakeholders. The Roehampton University team, which is co-leading this set of activities, has provided guidance on conducting media analyses that will explore how media portrayals of early childhood education policies contribute to efforts to reduce educational inequalities in each country. These components will also be reviewed during the Krakow Consortium meeting.
Next steps
Besides the five case study country reports, in a later stage, this work will produce a comparative analysis summarising when inequalities in learning outcomes emerge during adolescence and early adulthood. This analysis will link these inequalities to institutional features, practices, and policies, highlighting which factors affect them. We’re excited about the progress made in this segment of the project and look forward to further development in the new year!
