Activities

 

The portfolio of projects of the institute covers all the different aspects of lifelong learning: school education, vocational education and training (initial and continuing), adult learning and higher education.

 

Recent projects:

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The shift to learning outcomes; rhetoric or reality? 

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The purpose of this study is to analyse and better understand the conceptual, structural and political factors influencing the transformation of curricular intentions for student learning (intended learning outcomes)  into what students actually learn (achieved learning outcomes). The research focuses on initial vocational education and training, in schools and apprenticeships.

 

The following five topics are the study’s main focus:

• the influence of learning outcomes on pedagogical theory and tools;

• the impact of learning outcomes-based curricula on teaching practices (in school-based programmes);

• the influence of learning outcomes-based curricula in company training (part of apprenticeship programmes that takes place in companies);

• the influence of learning outcomes on assessment;

• Building on the four topics the study will further develop recommendations for the way forward supporting stakeholders and policy makers in addressing future challenges and opportunities in this area.

 

The research has been commissioned by Cedefop. The research consortium is led by PPMI Group (Lithuania). Consortium partners include 3s Research and Consulting. Project outcomes are available here.   

 

Publication of the report on Digital Education Content 

 

This study aimed to understand the current state of play for digital education content across Europe, and to assist the European Commission with identifying possible areas for EU intervention. The scope included Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), Primary and Secondary Education, including Vocational Education and Training (VET), and Higher Education (HE). The specific objectives were to produce an in-depth analysis of the supply and demand of digital educational content; develop up-to-date definitions and related terminology that can be shared and used by stakeholders; identify and define technological, legal and any other relevant contextual bottlenecks; and identify key challenges for the development of a robust digital education content framework at EU level. The study was carried out between July 2022 and September 2023 and involved mixed methods, combining desk research with an EU27 country mapping, case studies and a market analysis. The publication is available here.

 

Publication of report on Recognition of learning

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This final publication on individual pupil mobility and its recognition across Europe developed by the “Expert Network on Recognition of outcomes of learning periods abroad in general secondary school” is now available. The outcomes are the result of the precious contribution of an ad-hoc network, led by EFIL with CESIE and EIESP, consisting of 25 expert stakeholders from 15 EU countries, who worked in the period 2020-2021 to support the European Commission in helping Member states to advance automatic recognition. The publication is available here.

 

Publication of Report on EU Study on Digital Inclusion 

 

Ecorys is pleased to submit this Final Report for the study "Enhancing learning through digital tools and practices: how digital technology in compulsory education can help promote inclusion" (EAC/08/02/2020). Carried out over 12 months between September 2020 and September 2021, this EU comparative educational study aimed to assess the actual and potential role of digital technologies in promoting access, quality and equity in compulsory school education across Europe, and their role in complementing and enhancing traditional forms of teaching and learning. The publication is available here.

 

On-site assessment to identify success factors for developing vocational education and training strategies at the regional level in Poland

​(DG EAC Framework Contract EAC-07-2015)

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Project now completed, publication available here : 

 

Vocational education and training (VET) is a present priority for European Social Fund (ESF) financing in Poland and the European Commission Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) foresees that priority also for the next financial perspective 2021-27. Initial VET in Poland currently takes place mainly in schools, with limited work-based learning. VET offer is also often driven by the supply of the teachers, infrastructure and uninformed demand on the part of the students or their parents. The country struggles to ensure quality, effective and relevant to the labour market needs VET provision at all levels. Vocational schools also face difficulties in equipping pupils with general basic skills, such as numeracy and literacy. Within this context DG EMPL requested the study “On-site assessment to identify success factors for developing vocational education and training strategies at the regional level in Poland” which aimed to analyse VET strategies development and implementation processes in the three most effective (successful) regions and to present the outcomes of the analysis to other regions to facilitate the programming for effective ESF programming in the VET sector.

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The key project tasks included:

• Identification of three regions successful in establishing regional VET strategy;

• Preparation of the in-depth interviews;

• On-site interviews conducted by senior experts;

• Transcription of interviews;

• Analysis of the interviews’ results and other relevant material;

• Proposing main components of a successful regional strategy for VET and its governance;

• Refining the presentation of the final results.

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The project ran from 15 November 2019 to 14 April 2020. Outputs include the Final Project Report and the Presentation of the results in an external workshop. Here is the project publication. 

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Boosting Teacher Quality: Pathways to Effective Policies (2016-2018)

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Policies to support, develop and incentivise teacher quality are central to the European Commission’s Education and Training 2020 strategic objective, “Improving the quality and efficiency of education and training”. The study Boosting Teacher Quality: Pathways to Effective Policies (2016-2018) explores evidence on the impact of different policy measures to raise teacher quality, and considers how countries may draw on this evidence to develop long-term strategies appropriate for their own contexts and cultures. The main outcome of this study is a tool (a 4-stage matrix) to aid policy makers and stakeholders in developing a coherent policy mix to support individual and collective teacher quality. The tool can help each country and group of stakeholders to frame its analysis of existing teacher policies, define aims to develop teaching as an advanced knowledge-based profession, and plan the steps needed to achieve those aims.

 

The core research team included: Gábor Halász, Janet Looney, Alain Michel and Anne Sliwka.

 

The study was carried out as a partnership between the EIESP and Ecorys UK. It was funded by the European Commission. The final report can be found here. 

 

Related work

 

Study on Policy Measures to Improve the Attractiveness of the Teaching Profession in Europe (2011-2012)

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The 'Study on Policy Measures to Improve the Attractiveness of the Teaching Profession in Europe', which was completed at the end of 2012, proposes a list of policy recommendations in order to enhance the attractiveness of the teaching profession in European countries.

 

The study was led by Alain Carlo and Alain Michel. The final report is available here.

The study was funded by the European Commission.

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