Empowering Grassroots Stakeholders: Findings from the Data Must Speak (DMS) Positive Deviance Research

• In Event: Learning Teams for Foundational Learning: A Collaborative Approach to Ensure Every Child Can Thrive in an Increasingly Complex World

Proposal

Results will be shared from a multi-country Positive Deviance Research grounded in the belief that some of the most impactful agents of change in education are grassroots stakeholders—teachers, headteachers, and communities. Across the globe, we find positive deviant schools—schools that outperform their peers despite having no additional resources or more favorable conditions. These schools are believed to be implementing local solutions—behaviors or practices—that make a significant difference in ensuring students learn effectively and consistently attend school.

Over the past two years, the research, implemented in over 14 countries across three continents, has focused on identifying and scaling the school-level practices that enable certain schools to excel over others, in similar contexts. This research employs a mixed-methods, positive deviance approach, integrating insights from behavioral sciences, implementation research, and scaling science. Through this approach, the research team aims to uncover effective practices that are already in use in some schools to scale context-relevant solutions that contribute to educational success, particularly in resource-constrained environments.

At the heart of this approach is the concept of Learning Teams. Learning Teams reimagine the traditional teacher-student dynamic by recognizing that learning is a collective effort involving a network of actors—teachers, parents, local governments, and communities. These teams work collaboratively across different levels—classroom, school, district, and central—to ensure better learning for all. They adapt to different contexts within the education system, and can include a range of stakeholders including teachers, volunteers, pedagogical coaches, school leaders, and even professionals from other sectors, such as health and welfare specialists.

The research has shown that the most successful schools are those that foster strong relationships and collaborative initiatives within the community, where everyone works together to support student learning and educational outcomes. The approach draws on social network theory, emphasizing that meaningful change is more effectively achieved through relationships and networks rather than isolated individual efforts. By harnessing the collective capacity of these Learning Teams, the research highlights the critical nexus of human and social capital, illustrating how leveraging existing skills and expertise within a community can drive educational change more effectively than relying on individual efforts alone.

This session will highlight key findings from the research, showcasing the behaviors and practices that exceptional schools in the 14+ participating countries have developed to better engage their communities, create environments conducive to children’s education, and establish effective communication strategies to keep parents regularly informed. By sharing these insights, the session will contribute to ongoing global education discussions on the importance of community involvement in improving both learning and school accountability, and it will demonstrate how Learning Teams can drive sustainable, system-wide improvements in education for all.

Author

• Renaud Comba, UNICEF