Overcoming inequalities in teaching and learning

Abstract

This special issue on the theme ‘‘Overcoming inequalities in teaching and learning’’ comes at a pivotal time. The United Nations post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed to in September 2015, include education as a key pillar. For many countries and regions, especially developing ones, the shortage of human resources with the right kind, level, and mix of competencies (i.e., knowledge, skills, affects, and the application thereof) is among the most critical constraints to transitioning to higher levels of development. Thus, an overarching ambition of the sustainable development framework is to ensure no one is left behind by 2030. From an education perspective, this ambition is expected to be achieved both in terms of getting all children into school, as well as ensuring they are learning once they are in school. The articles in this special issue aim to contribute to our understanding of how to enhance teaching and learning in ways that improve learning for all children, regardless of their wealth, gender, or where they live. The articles are based on selected background papers and related analyses for the 2013/4 Education for All Global Monitoring Report (GMR) on the theme ‘‘Teaching and learning: Achieving quality Education for All’’. The 2013/4 GMR, directed by Pauline Rose, guest editor of this special issue, highlights that 250 million children are not learning the basics, even though at least half of them have spent a minimum of 4 years in school (UNESCO 2014). As Irina Bokova, the DirectorGeneral of UNESCO, states in her Foreword to the report: ‘‘An education system is only as good as its teachers. Unlocking teachers’ potential is essential to enhancing the quality of learning. Evidence shows that education quality improves when teachers are supported—it deteriorates if they are not’’. The articles in this special issue span a range of perspectives on the importance of reforms to support improving the quality of teachers and teaching in order to overcome the learning crisis. Articles that present innovative analyses of large-scale learning