Your search

This book presents a fresh approach to bridging the perceived gap between academic and classroom cultures. It describes a unique form of research partnership whereby Cambridge University academics and school teachers together grappled with and reformulated theory – through in-depth case studies analysing practice using interactive whiteboards in five subject areas. The inquiry exploited the collaborators’ complementary professional knowledge bases. Teachers’ voices are particularly audible...

Professional development programs are based on different theories of how students learn and different theories of how teachers learn. Reviewers often sort programs according to design features such as program duration, intensity, or the use of specific techniques such as coaches or online lessons, but these categories do not illuminate the programs’ underlying purpose or premises about teaching and teacher learning. This review sorts programs according to their underlying theories of action,...

In response to disruption to education during the Covid-19 pandemic, mobile phone-based messaging has emerged in some instances as an accessible, low-connectivity way of promoting interactivity. However, no recent reviews have been undertaken in relation to how social media and messaging apps can be used to effectively support education in low- and middle-income countries. In this scoping review, 43 documents were identified for inclusion and three main thematic areas emerged: supporting...

Our latest blog looks at using evidence to strengthen tech-supported teacher professional development in Madagascar. For more details, visit our website.

This study aims to explore the role of school-based practicum in promoting pre-service English language teachers' professional development through the use of a longitudinal design in combination with qualitative methods. To achieve this aim, pre-service teachers were asked to successively reflect on video-recordings of their micro-lessons in their university-based methodology courses directly after delivering the micro-lessons and retrospectively after their practicum experience. The...

Remote Supervision Options for School Quality Assurance Officers: Recommendations for a cost-effective and rapid develop-and-test process

Beoku-Betts, I., Ampofo, R., & Haßler, B. - 2024 - EdTech Hub

The Sierra Leone Secondary Education Improvement Programme II (SSEIP II) is a five-year programme funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to support the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) to improve learning outcomes for students at secondary level and to increase the enrolment, retention and well-being of girls and children with disabilities in school. Part of the programme includes exploring the use of different digital tools for School...

This paper reviews the themes emerging from Bangladeshi teachers’ experiences of taking part in the initial research and the development stage of a professional development programme they were involved with. The Secondary Teaching and Learning Programme is an information and communications technologies‐enhanced supported open distance learning programme of professional development in English‐language teaching. This paper presents evidence arising from semi‐structured interviews carried out...

This paper reviews the themes emerging from Bangladeshi teachers’ experiences of taking part in the initial research and the development stage of a professional development programme they were involved with. The Secondary Teaching and Learning Programme is an information and communications technologies‐enhanced supported open distance learning programme of professional development in English‐language teaching. This paper presents evidence arising from semi‐structured interviews carried out...

Sierra Leone series: Plan International and the importance of community support for distance teacher professional development programmes

Saidu, A., Casado, E. R., Shergill, M., & McBurnie, C. - 2021, March 26 - EdTech Hub

Over the past few months, the EdTech Hub team has analysed and mapped the EdTech research landscape in Sierra Leone. In doing so, we have met a number of individuals and organisations that are exploring if and how technology can support the country’s education sector.  In week four, we met with Arthur Saidu, Eusebio Rincon Casado and Maggie Shergill from…

Beginning in February and March of 2020, school closures impacted at least 90% of the world’s population of students, according to UNESCO estimates. As educators swiftly shifted to teaching online, they sought information to guide their initial planning and teaching in new environments with new tools. Analysis of educators’ search terms and their use of support content during this period indicates the needs felt by educators globally and informs content and professional development support...

Pakistan Landscape Analysis Inception Report: UNICEF Inception Report

EdTech Hub Team - 2022 - EdTech Hub

Based on the growing access to technology, and the lessons learned from the experiences during the Covid-19 school closures, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoEFPT) has identified the formalisation of a strategy to develop and implement technology-based learning approaches as an immediate national priority. UNICEF Pakistan is developing a strategy to guide its engagement in the technology-facilitated learning space in Pakistan. This strategy will identify how...

In Ethiopia, primary school teachers of science and mathematics are encouraged to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into their teaching as a means to improve the quality of education. However, there has not been the same emphasis placed on providing professional learning opportunities for teachers on how to use ICT in their teaching. The present study investigated how a group of practising primary school science and mathematics teachers developed the skills needed to...

EdTech Policy Rapid Scan for Sub-Saharan Africa (Helpdesk Response No. 196)

Flam, R., & Oyedele, O. - 2025 - EdTech Hub

This rapid scan presents a curated list of EdTech policies in sub-Saharan Africa, compiled in response to a request from the World Bank. Based on desk research from mid-2024, it highlights that most policies predate COVID-19, with few new ones emerging post-2020. Many countries lack dedicated EdTech policies, instead relying on broader ICT or education strategies. Common themes include digital infrastructure, distance learning, and teacher training, while gaps remain in support for...

Most research and practice in teacher in-service learning focuses on formal professional development activities. This article calls for paying greater attention to the informal conversations that are embedded in teachers’ day-to-day work and through which they learn from one another what it means to be a teacher and how to perform their duties. The authors build on theory and research in teacher on-the-job discourse and learning in order to (a) argue that, as a field, we need to pay more...

Teachers are central to unlocking every learner's potential and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 of inclusive, equitable and quality education for all. Regrettably, worldwide teacher shortages have been endangering the future of education. New data collected for the Global Report on Teachers indicates that 44 million additional teachers are needed to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030. Shortages are widespread, with sub-Saharan Africa needing 15 million more...

Covid-19 and EdTech in Africa: A Country-Level Review Based on eLearning Africa Data [Academic papers, book chapters, etc.]

Damani, K. - 2021 - EdTech Hub

An output of the EdTech Hub, https://edtechhub.org

How Can Implementers Apply Digital Personalised Learning in Schools? [Learning Brief]

Plaut, D. - 2024 - EdTech Hub

This Learning Brief is part of the EdTech Hub Learning Brief Series, providing practical resources for people working to improve the use of technology in education. In this brief, we look at digital personalised learning (DPL), a promising EdTech approach to improving learning outcomes, and consider how to implement this approach in school settings. We draw on work from EdTech Hub and other prominent researchers to first unpack the ‘basics’ of DPL implementation. These include the importance...

Background: Future teachers need to observe, interpret and analyse teaching during the initial teacher education period. The use of videoed teaching and learning in teacher education promotes reflection, and analysing videos of teaching is helpful in learning effective classroom practices that prospective teachers mostly do not have the chance to observe during fieldwork experiences. The analysis of videos of teaching can be seen as a way to enhance the development of prospective teachers'...

Effective Use of EdTech for Remedial Learning Programmes: Considerations for Mongolia (Helpdesk Response No. 27)

Upadhyay, A., Shoobridge, J., & Moss Coflan, C. - 2020 - EdTech Hub

This document was produced in response to a request from the World Bank Mongolia team to: 1. Outline the evidence of effective practices on remedial education generally. 2. Explore appropriate uses of EdTech to support remedial education. 3. Summarise the implications of these findings for Mongolia.

Background: A key aim of educational research is for findings to inform practice, thereby bringing about improvements in teaching and learning. However, the relationship between research and practice is complex, and there is often no clear link between changes in practice and research findings. One of the challenges for research and practice is breaking down barriers and finding effective and sustainable ways to translate research findings into practical solutions in the classroom.Purpose:...