Introduction

Better utilization of evidence in policy and practice can improve learning outcomes.

In the last decade, rigorous field research has yielded a number of important lessons on how to improve learning outcomes. However, existing evidence and its implications for policy decisions are not always readily known among policymakers and practitioners. Meaningful engagement between researchers and policymakers remains limited. As Ghana strives to improve efficiency and enhance quality education delivery, fostering dialogue between researchers and policymakers is critical.

The Ghana Education Evidence Summit brought together policymakers, researchers and practitioners to: a) share evidence that has been collected about education in Ghana; b) identify ways in which evidence can be used for better decision-making; and c) develop a research agenda to fill the gaps in the existing evidence.

Summit Structure and Goals

The summit included plenary and panel presentations, roundtable discussions, and workshops to share knowledge on existing evidence, develop skills for identifying quality research, promote evidence-based policy decisions, and develop a research agenda for the education system in Ghana.

The specific goals of the summit were to:

• Share results of high-quality research from practitioners, researchers, and academics doing work in Ghana
• Develop skills for assessing research quality and understanding the implications of research on decision-making
• Provide input for the creation of a research agenda for basic and secondary education delivery in Ghana
• Lay the groundwork for an evidence-sharing space through an online platform on the MoE website

Summit Themes

The summit was based on the following cross-cutting themes:

• Targeting: scholarships, district grants, school feeding
• Efficiency: how to make gains with minimum resources
• Performance: improving educational outcomes with limited resources
• Skills development
• Private sector provision in basic education

Research Areas

The research areas for consideration included:

• Early grade education
• Languages in education
• Science and mathematics education
• Technical and vocational education
• Teacher education and development
• Curriculum development and implementation (pedagogy)
• Leadership, supervision, accountability and community involvement
   

Support for the Ghana Education Evidence Summit was provided by the Ghana Ministry of Education and Omidyar Network Fund, Inc.

Download the concept note and event brochure for the Ghana Education Evidence Summit 2017.