OU secures funding for research into driving better learning outcomes for marginalised children

The Open University (OU) has been awarded £116,000 to lead the third phase of an ambitious international research project that explores how collaborative "learning teams" within education systems can drive better learning outcomes for marginalised children.

Funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s (FCDO) What Works Hub for Global Education, the research will be delivered in partnership with the Learning Generation Initiative (part of the Education Development Center), building on  a seven-year collaboration.

This phase of the project will engage researchers and practitioners across two countries to explore how adults at every level of an education system - teachers, community members, local leaders, and national policymakers - can work together in structured teams to improve foundational learning and wellbeing for the most disadvantaged children.

In stage one, the team will work with children and their caregivers to create participatory ethnographies of their experiences, alongside interviews with education stakeholders. This holistic, systems-level approach will examine how and why collaborative learning teams are introduced and sustained, and how national and local structures support or hinder their effectiveness. This will be piloted in collaboration with the education reform organisation T-TEL (Transforming Teaching, Education and Learning) in Ghana in June.

Stage two will employ an innovative Change Laboratory action research methodology, with schools and education actors. Together, they will test small, practical changes to improve collaborative practices, reflecting on the real-world impact for children’s learning and wellbeing.

The project, co-led by Dr Alison Buckler and Professor Freda Wolfenden is set to deliver a range of impactful outputs, including an academic research paper, a policy brief, practitioner-focused blogs, and a practical toolkit to support education systems globally in adopting team-based approaches.

By generating new data and insights on collaborative education systems, the OU and its partners aim to support lasting improvements in how schools and communities serve their most vulnerable learners. These findings will directly contribute to the What Works Hub’s global evidence base on education reform.

This project exemplifies The Open University’s commitment to tackling Open Societal Challenges - particularly around access to quality education and reducing inequalities. It underscores the OU’s world-class research capability and ongoing mission to advance knowledge that drives social impact.

“This work will help reimagine how education systems can be more inclusive, effective, and resilient,” said co-project lead, Alison Buckler, “We’re proud to continue collaboratively pioneering research that shapes the future of education for those who need it most.”