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Promoting Educational Quality: The Contribution of Educational Effectiveness and Improvement Research

The last years have seen radical changes in our world: from the global pandemic that has changed (at least temporarily) the ways of socializing and interacting inside and outside of schools, to ongoing wars and conflicts in different places of the planet that have spurred massive migration, to the more recent advancements in artificial intelligence whose impact on our everyday lives is yet to be understood. In such a world in which “everything changes rapidly, and nothing stands still for even a moment”—to paraphrase ancient philosopher Heraclitus—it is always beneficial to pause for a while, reflect on what we have collectively accomplished in the past, and consider how we might want to move on in the future.

Almost sixty years after the publication of two reports that have challenged the role of schools and teachers in promoting student learning and which have, in essence, given birth to the field of educational effectiveness and improvement, the time seems ripe to engage in such a reflection. As a field we seem to have made significant steps at different levels for which we can cherish: generating theoretical constructs and models to study and understand educational effectiveness and improvement; developing and utilizing advanced methodological approaches to study the effects of schooling on student learning; utilizing data-driven and evidence-based practices to implement strategies and interventions that have been scientifically proven to enhance learning outcomes; developing a renewed focus on educational equity; combining quality and equity to better understand the relation between the two and how they can be concurrently pursued; expanding the types of learning outcomes considered; and embracing more complex models that attend to the role of different contextual factors on student learning—to name a few. Despite these advancements, the field still has several open questions and challenges, especially in a world that has recently taught us that the typical modes of teaching and learning should not be taken for granted. 

The 9th biannual conference of EARLI SIG 18 on Educational Effectiveness and Improvement is intended to offer an opportunity to look back at our collective achievements to date and to focus on the future with hope. We invite you to reflect on the contribution of educational effectiveness and improvement research in promoting educational quality and equity and to consider how this field can evolve in the future to serve its main goal: to offer quality education for all students. Hosted in Cyprus, this conference will provide us with an opportunity to gather, discuss, and reflect on current key issues, trends, successes and challenges in our field and, building on them, consider how we might address future challenges and opportunities. With a history that dates back at least tens of thousands of years and a present affected by the global socio-political challenges, Cyprus offers a unique place to inspire dynamic conversations, adopting such a Janus-faced approach, both looking back at our accomplishments as well as looking forward to future possibilities and opportunities.Read More