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Mapping education research in sub-Saharan Africa


Bosch Mapping Project


Mapping education research in sub-Saharan Africa

Project summary

To address the gap of being able to locate, and to increase the visibility and impact of, African education research, the REAL Centre is partnering with Education Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA) on a project to catalogue, review and synthesise policy-relevant education research from Africa.

The first phase of this work resulted in the establishment of a searchable database of education research published by researchers based in sub-Saharan Africa: the African Education Research Database. This database continues to be updated on an annual basis. Information in the database has been used to analyse trends in research published by African scholars in general, as well as with respect to specific issues, such as in relation to disability.

The second phase of the work has extended to provide a more specific focus on early childhood development, and foundational literacy and numeracy. In addition to mapping of research across sub-Saharan African countries, this work includes a more in-depth focus on research from different sources available in selected countries, notably Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda for early childhood development; and Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and Tanzania for foundational literacy and numeracy. The work also explores ways to ensure greater inclusion of research in French and Portuguese in the database.

Overall, the research aims to:

  • Improve the visibility and accessibility of research on early childhood development and foundational literacy and numeracy undertaken by researchers based in sub-Saharan Africa, by mapping the researchers and their research
  • Establish a community of practice, understand the research and funding needs of this network, and connect them to relevant support
  • Engage in advocacy, communication and dissemination on early childhood development and foundational literacy and numeracy in the focus countries and across the region.

Research team

Principal Investigator: Professor Pauline Rose

Research Associates: Dr Eunice Mueni Williams; Dr Hélène Binesse

Research Assistant: Daniel Hawkins Iddrisu

Research Associates for the development of the original database: Dr Samuel Asare; Dr Rafael Mitchell; Dr Phoebe Downing

Partners: Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA)

Duration

June 2017 – June 2019 for the work on the original database

2022 - 2024 for the focus on early childhood development and foundational literacy and numeracy

Funder

The development of the database was supported by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Jacobs Foundation

The work on early childhood development is funded by the Conrad N Hilton Foundation

The work on foundational literacy and numeracy is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Publications

Enhancing Africa-Led research on early childhood development and foundational learning
Krista Samson, Samuel Asare and Pauline Essah, November 2023
ESSA and REAL Centre Workshop Report

Literature search protocol: Mapping African-led Foundational Literacy and Numeracy publications in English, French and Portuguese
Binesse, H., Rose, P. and Silva, R. 2023
REAL Centre Methodological Note

Enhancing Africa-led research on early childhood development and foundational learning: Recommendations for action
Asare, S., Samson, K., Essah, P. and Acquah, S. July 2023
ESSA and REAL Centre Workshop Report

Primary schooling for children with disabilities: A review of African scholarship
Singal, N., Spencer, C. and Mitchell, R. 2021
Cambridge Network for Disability and Education Research (CaNDER) Research Report, Executive Summary and Slides

Action on funding for African-led education research: Conference summary and key recommendations for funders, policy makers, universities and researchers
Asare, S., Essah, P., Rose, P., Baxter S., Samson, K. C., Tachie-Mensah, E. and Heady, L. July 2021 ESSA
(plus speaker presentations available to download)

How accessible are journal articles on education written by sub‐Saharan Africa‐based researchers?
Asare, S., Mitchell, R. and Rose, P. 2021
Development and Change

How equitable are South-North partnerships in education research? Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa
Asare, S., Mitchel, R. and Rose, P. 2020
Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education

Education research in sub-Saharan Africa: Quality, visibility and agendas
Mitchell, R., Rose, P. and Asare, S. 2020
Comparative Education Review 64 (3): 363-383

Equity in international research partnerships in education: evidence from sub-Saharan Africa
Asare, S., Mitchell, R. and Rose, P. 2020
Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education

Mapping the landscape of education research by scholars based in sub-Saharan Africa: Insights from the African Education Research Database
Rose, P., Downing, P., Asare, S. and Mitchell, R. 2019
Synthesis report

Literature search protocol for the Evidence hub: Education partnerships between the state and non-state sector
Downing, P. and Rose, P. 2019
Methodological note

Literature search protocol for the African Education Research Database
Mitchell, R. and Rose, P. 2018
Methodological Note

Blogs

Understanding research priorities and professional development needs of early years researchers in Africa
Samuel Asare and Pauline Essah, UKFIET, 14 December 2023

Cartographie de la recherche africaine sur l’apprentissage fondamental en Afrique subsaharienne – où trouve-t-on les publications?
Hélène Binesse and Rui da Silva, NORRAG, 23 November 2023

Mapping research on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in sub-Saharan Africa contexts – where are the publications?
Hélène Binesse and Rui da Silva, UKFIET, 9 November 2023

Mapping early childhood development research for local knowledge and global development: Evidence from sub-Saharan African-based researchers
Daniel Hawkins Iddrisu, UKFIET, 24 October 2023

The place of locally published and unpublished early childhood development research in sub-Saharan Africa
Eunice Mueni Williams, UKFIET, 3 October 2023

Evidence on education in the early years needs greater prioritisation in sub-Saharan Africa
David Chukwuma Izuogu, Priscilla Bretuo, Ronald Omuthe and Samuel Asare,  Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), 11 November 2022

Listening to African researchers: Making sure evidence informs education policy and practice
Samuel Asare, Pauline Rose, Pauline Essah, Sandra Baxter and Izel Kipruto, Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), 14 October 2021 (Also published in French)

Potential solutions for addressing challenges faced by African academics in obtaining funding for education research
ESSA and REAL Centre, ESSA, 25 August 2021

More and better research needed on education in sub-Saharan Africa
Jack Rossiter and Joseph Ishaku, Center for Global Development, 30 July 2019

The involvement of non-academic stakeholders in education research: perspectives from sub-Saharan Africa
Rafael Mitchell, The Impact Initiative, 3 October 2018

New database puts African education research at the heart of policy and practice
Rafael Mitchell, Pauline Rose and Samuel Asare, The Conversation, 22 August 2018

What does the African Education Research Database tell us about research in West Africa?
Pauline Rose and Rafael Mitchell, ADEA, December 2017

A new database to raise the visibility and impact of African education research
Pauline Rose and Rafael Mitchell, ADEA, September 2017

“Learning, if you use it, increases”: a database of African education research to inform policy and practice
Rafael Mitchell and Pauline Rose, NORRAG, August 2017

Other media

Calls to increase research funding in Africa louder than ever
Clemence Manyukwe and Edwin Naidu, University World News, 14 December 2023

Enhancing African-led research on early childhood development and foundational learning
Nangamso Mtsatse, LinkedIn, 25 October 2023

New effort to 'decolonise' African education research
Devex, 10 October 2023

Raising the profile of African education research and researchers: Foundational literacy and numeracy
ESSA, February 2023

New project announced to identify and connect Africa-based education researchers in improving foundational learning
ESSA, 13 December 2022

Joint Press Release: Education Sub Saharan Africa Welcomes Partnership with Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Towards Improving African Research Evidence
ESSA, 3 June 2022

African Education Research Database featured in the Financial Times
ESSA, 14 October 2021

Study highlights concern about publishing practices
Wachira Kigotho, University World News Africa Edition, 20 April 2021

‘Substantial gaps’ in African education research
Times Higher Education, August 2019

Plan S: how important is open access publishing?
Times Higher Education, January 2019

Africa’s first online database on education research
SciDevNet, July 2018

Database of African research on education launched
IIEP-UNESCO, June 2018

Open access database to raise education research visibility
University World News, June 2018

Conference presentations

Equity in international research collaborations: evidence from the African Education Research Database
Mitchell, R., Asare, S. and Rose, P. 2018
Cambridge Global Challenges Annual Conference 2018

Open access research and policy impact: experiences from developing the African Education Research Database.
Mitchell, R., Rose, P. and Asare, S. 2018
Is Open Research really changing the world? Cambridge Festival of Ideas

Introducing the Impact Initiative and the African Education Research Database
Mitchell, R., Rose, P. and Asare, S. 2018
Raising Learning Outcomes in Education Systems: Africa Symposium, Johannesburg, South Africa

Global policy agendas and the Education Sustainable Development Goal: Perspectives from sub-Saharan African research and researchers
Asare, S., Mitchell, R. and Rose, P. 2018
BAICE Conference, York 2018

Research in African universities to inform the Sustainable Development Goal for Education: visibility, gaps and future priorities
Mitchell, R., Rose, P. and Asare, S. 2018
Centre for Education and International Development (CEID) Annual Conference, Institute of Education, London

Launch of the African Education Research Database
Rose, P., Mitchell, R. and Asare, S. 2018
French Development Agency, Paris

Mapping the African research evidence base for educational policy and practice
Mitchell, R. and Rose, P. 2018
CIES Conference, Mexico City 2018

Report on the African Education Research Database
Mitchell, R. 2017
L’Atelier de recherche sur l’éducation au Burkina Faso (AREB) Conference, Ouagadougou 2017

Further information

For further information see the searchable database of education research published by researchers in sub-Saharan Africa: ESSA African Research Database