Strategies for achieving equity and inclusion in education, training and learning in democratic Europe

Funded by the UKRI and European Commission Horizon programme, the STRIDE project aims to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of educational policy reforms that attempt to target and reduce intersectional inequalities in educational achievement across Europe. This research will be completed through analysing existing longitudinal and cross-sectional databases, coupled with interviews with politicians to assess policy intentions. The results will be shared with policy makers and developed into an intuitive interactive online map depicting significant factors in policy development that foster or inhibit the promotion of equity, inclusion and resilience in education, training and educational achievements over time.

Our Roehampton team is led by Professor Bryony Hoskins, renowned scholar and global leader on citizenship education, inequalities, and political socialisation. Our team also includes Khuyen Dinh, postdoctoral research associate, specialising in academic leadership and development, and research assistant, Sofia Ferrer, specialising in global inequalities and digital media. This team will play pivotal roles in Work Package Two and co-lead Work Package Five.

For Work Package Five, we aim to identify policy initiatives and interventions that effectively compensate for inequalities in learning outcomes over time. To do this, we will utilise longitudinal datasets to analyse and compare the effectiveness of educational policy initiatives in Norway, Denmark, Poland, Hungary and the United Kingdom. We will then supplement this data with a media analysis and qualitative interviews to gage policy intentions and implementation practices. Work Package Two will consist of a meta-analysis of significant national and regional educational reforms aimed at rectifying inequalities in education and learning outcomes over the past 25 years in Europe.

Overall goals

Through its use of interdisciplinary and diverse methods, this project presents a unique and innovative approach to educational research. By undertaking meta-analyses and evaluating longitudinal studies, the STRIDE project has the overall goals to assess the effectiveness of educational policies on reducing inequalities and ultimately offer policymakers a toolbox of enhanced knowledge regarding key contributors to educational outcomes over time. Through these initiatives, we hope to ensure the promotion of equity and inclusion in educational policies across Europe in the short, medium and long term.

Partner institutions:

Oslo Metropolitan University (OSLOMET), Norway (NO)
Roehampton University (RU), United Kingdom (UK)
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece (EL)
VIA University College, Denmark (DK)
Lifelong Learning platform (LLLP), Belgium (BE)
TÁRKI Social Research Institute (TÁRKI), Hungary (HU)
Jagiellonian University (JU), Poland (PL)