Mapping education research in sub-Saharan Africa
Project summary
There is an urgent need for a strong evidence base to inform education policy and practice in sub-Saharan Africa. There are positive signs that the evidence base is growing. However, such research is not always easy to locate, particularly publications by African researchers and institutions.
To address this gap and 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 outputs include a searchable database of education research published by researchers based in sub-Saharan Africa.
Research team
Principal Investigator: Professor Pauline Rose
Research Associates: Dr Rafael Mitchell; Dr Phoebe Downing
Research Assistant: Dr Samuel Asare
Duration
June 2017 – June 2019
Funder
This work is undertaken in partnership with Education Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA) which is supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation, with funding from the Jacobs Foundation.
Publications
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
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 poicy 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
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
