Improving Schools in Challenging Circumstances in Russia: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice

• In Event: Connecting Policy, Research, and Practice: Evaluating the International School Effectiveness and Improvement Research Base

Abstract

Inequality in educational opportunity in Russia has risen sharply in recent years generating increased concern not only about equity but also the country’s future economic prosperity. The large corpus of research within the school effectiveness and improvement (SESI) field has repeatedly shown that highly effective schools can disrupt the connection between disadvantage and underachievement and improve the life chances of each student, regardless of individual capabilities and family context . This paper outlines findings from a two-year research project funded by the ‘World Bank’ that drew upon the SESI research base to plan a series of interventions in schools in three districts in Russia aimed at changing pedagogical practice. The paper considers the implications thus far for policy, research and practice.

Authors

• Alma Harris, University of Malaya

• Michelle Suzette Jones Jones, University of Malaya

• Marina Pinskaya, National Research University

• Isak Froumin, World Bank / HSE