All reports

Teachers for All: Zambia

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Teachers for All: Zambia

The equitable and effective deployment of teachers is critical to achieving quality education for all. However, the uneven distribution of teachers – both across and within schools – contributes to significant disparities in class sizes and learning conditions. Recognizing the critical role that teachers play in learning, the Government of Zambia has committed to addressing teacher allocation through large-scale teacher recruitments. This report aims to provide policymakers an overview of the magnitude and distribution of teacher shortages, and inform ongoing efforts to address teacher shortages and improve teacher allocation.

Transforming Education in Kosovo with the Learning Passport

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Transforming Education in Kosovo with the Learning Passport

The Kosovo Education Strategy (2022–2026) recognizes the need to scale up digital learning solutions to support individualized learning for children. Shkollat.org, Kosovo’s version of the Learning Passport, combines the largest repository of curriculum-aligned video learning content in Kosovo with communication tools to engage students inside or outside the classroom. This research presents findings from the implementation of Shkollat.org in Kosovo, providing policy takeaways for the scale-up of digital learning solutions for education policymakers in the Western Balkans and beyond. Research findings are organized around six pillars of digital learning embedded within the Kosovo Education Strategy (2022–2026): digital learning platforms, content, teacher upskilling and support, connectivity, devices, and institutional support.

Delivering the EU Child Guarantee: Practical lessons for effective interventions

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Delivering the EU Child Guarantee: Practical lessons for effective interventions

In 2019, the President of the European Commission announced the creation of the European Child Guarantee, an initiative that aimed to combat child poverty by making sure that every child who lives in poverty has access to free healthcare, free education, free childcare, decent housing and adequate nutrition. With Delivering the EU Child Guarantee: Practical lessons for effective interventions, UNICEF Innocenti provides a synthesis of findings of operational research on 15 pilot models of intervention for children and families in Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece and Italy. The goal of the report is to learn from the experiences in these four countries to inform the rollout of the Child Guarantee programme throughout Europe. The study provides lessons learned in three themes: laying the foundations for the Child Guarantee work at the national level; developing interventions at the local level; supporting the Child Guarantee at the EU level.

Winning the Game

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Winning the Game

In 2022, UNHCR estimated that 103 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide; in the same year, UNICEF further reported that 37 million of those displaced were children. Children and adolescents are more likely to have specific needs and vulnerabilities within the broader refugee population, which may affect their psychological well-being. In view of this, UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight and the Barça Foundation teamed up to investigate how Sport for Development (S4D) can be a positive intervention in the lives of refugee adolescents. The mixed-methods study was conducted in 2022 in two locations in Greece: Athens and the island of Lesvos, capturing the mental health profile of adolescent refugees (ages 11-19) and the key mechanisms of an S4D programme that may influence their psychological well-being. It builds upon previous research jointly carried out by the two organizations, providing key insights to improve the effectiveness of S4D programming (especially programmes that engage with young refugee populations), as well as recommendations for governments and donors that support S4D.

Building Bright Futures: Early childhood education and care for Ukraine’s refugee children

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Building Bright Futures: Early childhood education and care for Ukraine’s refugee children

Recent data show that two-thirds of young Ukrainian refugee children are currently not enrolled in the host country's early childhood education and care (ECEC) services. By publishing policy briefs on the expansion of early childhood education and care and the role of ECEC in the integration of Ukrainian young children and their families, UNICEF is continuing the advocacy for the inclusion of all young children in ECEC, with a focus on Ukrainian young refugee children across Europe. Briefs and compendium: Brief 1: About integration of young refugee children through early childhood education and care Brief 2: About expanding early childhood education and care for Ukrainian refugee children and Brief 3: Strengthening early childhood education and care services at the local level Brief 4: Enhancing capacities of early childhood professionals in emergencies Compendium of good practices

More than a billion reasons: The urgent need to build universal social protection

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More than a billion reasons: The urgent need to build universal social protection

Social protection is a universal human right and a precondition for a world free from poverty. It is also a vital foundation to help the world’s most vulnerable children fulfil their potential and increase their access to food, nutrition, education, and healthcare. But worldwide, 1.77 billion children aged 0–18 lack access to a child or family cash benefit, a fundamental pillar of a social protection system. Children are twice as likely to live in extreme poverty as adults. Approximately 800 million children are subsisting below a poverty line of US$3.20 a day, and 1 billion children are experiencing multidimensional poverty. The impact on their lives, communities, societies, and economies can be devastating. The second International Labour Organization (ILO) – United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) joint report on social protection for children reflects the shared commitment to strengthening social protection systems and expanding them to reach every child at risk. It explains why universal social protection should become a reality. It also documents the rapid positive changes in countries from Montenegro to Tunisia and the steps needed to accelerate progress.

02 March 2023

Guidance Note on Using Implementation Research in Education

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02 March 2023

Guidance Note on Using Implementation Research in Education

Although many interventions aiming to improve quality, inclusion, and equity in education have been tested around the world, it is not always clear from the existing research base why they work, for whom they work, and what are the defining contextual circumstances under which they work. And while there is an increasingly robust body of evidence on 'what works', taking interventions to scale through government systems often requires multiple iterations to achieve fidelity and a full understanding of the wider ecosystem. Implementation research is concerned with why and how an intervention or reform works by considering the context, stakeholders, and process of implementation. This guidance note, developed by the Building Evidence in Education (BE2) Working Group, helps education stakeholders to design and oversee implementation research in order to answer questions and learn lessons about the contextual factors impacting the implementation of an intervention or reform in a particular government or implementer’s system.

Annual report

01 March 2023

Annual Report 2022

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Annual report

01 March 2023

Annual Report 2022

The world is facing unprecedented compounding crises. The war in Ukraine, the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, a looming economic crisis, energy shortages, the increasing cost of living, and the ongoing effects of climate change and the associated food insecurity have created challenges across the world, and continue to disrupt the lives of children, their families and communities. More than ever, UNICEF needs to understand the implications of the emerging situation to be able to adapt programmes and approaches effectively to achieve the objectives of the 2022–2025 Strategic Plan, especially that of aiding recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerating efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNICEF Innocenti directed much of its research and foresight work in 2022 towards generating and supporting the use of quality research and analysis to inform programming for children, prioritizing focus on the most marginalized populations. The office collaborated closely with UNICEF offices and partners in countries, regions and globally, and published research and evidence regularly. The office also facilitated knowledge management on research, including ethics, capacity development and standard-setting for the organization. Our foresight team undertook horizon-scanning, trend analysis, risk assessments and scenario analysis, making policy recommendations on major global and emerging issues. Besides this, the office leveraged major reports and convened top thinkers to lead global discourse and to position UNICEF as a thought leader.

Unlocking Learning in Italy

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Unlocking Learning in Italy

Achieving Italian language proficiency is crucial for the educational and social integration of children with a migration background in Italy. This is particularly important for first-generation migrant and refugee children, who face a two-year achievement gap in Italian language skills compared to their peers. With the right implementation, the Akelius digital learning app (Akelius app), a digital tool for learning Italian as a second language (ITA L2), can help bridge this gap. Teachers use the app in a blended learning approach, combining it with traditional methods in the classroom. Evidence shows that the app can improve language skills and enhance student motivation and engagement. Piloting testing within formal schoolsIn Italy, more than 700,000 asylum seekers and migrants arrived in the country between 2014-2020. To help address this urgent need, the Akelius app was piloted in the 2021/22 school year in 2 comprehensive schools of Bologna and Rome for Italian and English language. This research presents findings from the first year of implementation of the Akelius app. Results show the use of the application supported self-paced learning, boosted students’ motivation and confidence. The use of the tool was especially beneficial for newly arrived children and children with disabilities. The report also explores challenges and good practices to inform improvements in the use of digital learning in classrooms.Scaling-up across formal schoolsIn response to the arrival of around 49,400 Ukrainian refugee children, UNICEF expanded the Akelius programme in Italy. By February 2023, it was active in 57 comprehensive schools and five Ukrainian education centres in Latium, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto.This report ties evidence collected during the expansion of the Akelius app with the broader context of digital learning in Italy and provides three recommendations for key institutions, including the Ministry of Education and Merit, the Regional Education Offices and the schools. These recommendations aim to foster supportive conditions that enable teachers to effectively use technology, including the Akelius app, to enhance the Italian language skills of children with a migration background. Suggested citations: Pilot testing – English: Poleschuk, S. et al., Unlocking Learning: The use of education technology to support disadvantaged children’s language learning and social inclusion in Italy, UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight, Florence, Italy, 2023.Scaling-up – English: Cárceles Martínez-Lozano, Joaquín, et al., Unlocking Learning: The scale-up of digital learning to support language acquisition and inclusion of learners with a migration background in Italy, UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight, Florence, Italy, July 2024.

Teachers for All: Madagascar

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Teachers for All: Madagascar

An equitable distribution of teachers is an essential criterion so that each child can best develop their learning potential, regardless of their school or place of residence. In Madagascar, the education system today faces a double challenge: qualified teachers are in insufficient number, and learning conditions vary greatly depending on the geographical area. This report describes the teaching landscape in Madagascar, and suggests avenues for reflection to improve the teaching network in the country, in order to promote access for all children to quality education.

Unlocking Learning in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Unlocking Learning in Bosnia and Herzegovina

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the number of refugees and migrants arriving in the country has increased from just a few dozen arrivals annually prior to 2017 to 95,000 between 2018 and 2022. This increase has strained the country’s education systems.This research presents critical findings on the implementation and effectiveness of the Akelius digital learning application (Akelius app) to support the language acquisition refugee and migrant children.Report one: Implementation in non-formal education This report focuses on the implementation of the Akelius app as a tool to support refugee and migrant children’s English and German language learning within temporary reception centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina.These findings demonstrate that combining the Akelius app with traditional teaching methods in classrooms, where children have diverse learning levels and needs, facilitates catering to students' individual learning needs through personalized learning. The report also explores the challenges faced and good practices to tangibly improve the implementation of digital learning in classrooms.Report two: Implementation in formal educationThis report focuses on the implementation of the Akelius app within the formal education system of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Foreign language acquisition is an important component of curricula in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nonetheless, outdated teaching methods, materials and resources frequently hamper students’ motivation and engagement with learning in foreign language lessons. As a result, a considerable share of students fails to meet foreign language learning goals established by cantonal curricula upon completing secondary education. The Akelius app provides opportunities to accelerate foreign language acquisition in a gamified learning environment. With the right conditions, teachers can incorporate the app as part of their teaching to meet curriculum goals while enhancing students’ motivation. To support the scale-up of the Akelius app across elementary schools in Una-Sana Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina), led by its Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MoE), this report provides evidence and key recommendations for an effective and equitable scale-up. Suggested citations: Report one: S. Poleschuk, A. Soldo and T. Dreesen. Unlocking Learning – The use of digital learning to support the education and inclusion of refugees and migrant children in Bosnia and Herzegovina. UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research andForesight, Florence, Italy, 2023.Report two: Carceles, J. et al., Unlocking Learning – The scale-up of EdTech to support learners in schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight, Florence, Italy, 2024

31 January 2023

Data Must Speak: Lao PDR

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31 January 2023

Data Must Speak: Lao PDR

While the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has made steady progress in expanding access to quality education, many children still leave primary school with difficulties in reading and writing for their age.In Lao PDR, some schools demonstrate exceptional performance. These "positive deviant" schools perform better than their peers despite operating under similar conditions and resources. This research utilizes administrative data to identify these schools, explore their success stories, and understand their locally led solutions. The aim is to empower educators and policymakers with practical insights for broader implementation.Data Must Speak (DMS) is a global initiative launched in 2014 to address evidence gaps and mitigate the learning crisis using existing data. The DMS Positive Deviance research is co-created and co-implemented with Ministries of Education and key partners. It employs mixed methods and innovative approaches, including positive deviance, behavioral sciences, implementation research, and scaling science, to generate knowledge and practical lessons. The research focuses on understanding 'what works,' 'why,' and 'how' to scale grassroots solutions for national policymakers and the international education community.On this webpage, you will find all the DMS Positive Deviance research outputs related to Lao PDR:DMS Stage 1: Understanding what resources and contextual factors are associated with good school performancePolicy Brief 1: Investing in teacher capacity – the key to effective learning (English and Laotian)Policy Brief 2: School principals in highly effective schools – who are they and which good practices do they adopt? (English and Laotian)Policy Brief 3: Exploring school climate in Lao schools (English and Laotian)Policy Brief 4: Moving towards a culture of assessments for learning in Lao schools (English and Laotian) DMS Stage 3: Discovering locally led behaviours and practices to improve quality educationStage 3 Report: What can we learn about the practices and behaviors of highly effective schools? (English and Laotian)