Centering Context: Pedagogical Reform and Collaborative Research in India, Egypt, and Mexico

• In Event: Co-Producing Knowledge for Systemic Change: Collaborative Research for Education Transformation in a Divided World

Proposal

This presentation draws on two forthcoming reports from SPARKS—Strengthening Pedagogical Approaches for Relevant Knowledge and Skills, a two-year collaborative, locally-led research initiative. SPARKS was designed to investigate the role of culture, local education ecosystems, and learning theories—collectively described as Invisible Pedagogical Mindsets (IPMs)—in shaping classroom practice, teacher development, and broader pedagogical reform. To this end, the project developed Research Policy Collaboratives (RPCs) in India, Egypt, and Mexico, serving as locally grounded hubs for research and as part of a global network for knowledge exchange. By centering locally-led research priorities and fostering sustained collaboration, SPARKS sought to generate insights that are both contextually grounded and globally relevant.

The first report brings together findings from three individual country studies to examine how IPMs influence teaching and learning across diverse contexts, specifically focused on a recent policy reform in each context. It highlights both common patterns and unique dynamics in how teachers, schools, and policy environments interact to support or constrain pedagogical reform. The report also considers the implications of these findings for teacher training, curriculum development, and classroom practice, illustrating how locally-informed evidence can shape effective and responsive education policies.

The second report turns to the research process itself, reflecting on how collaboration was structured and practiced across countries. It documents the RPC model in action—how research agendas were co-created, methods were adapted to local contexts, and power dynamics were navigated to ensure equitable participation. By examining processes for peer review, knowledge sharing, and engagement with policymakers, educators, parents, and students, the report illuminates the conditions necessary for sustained, inclusive, and locally responsive research collaborations.

Together, these reports offer a dual perspective: what was learned about pedagogical reforms in three distinct contexts, and how it was learned through a collaborative research approach that foregrounded equity, context, and partnership. In doing so, the SPARKS project contributes not only to understanding effective teaching and learning practices, but also to reimagining how global research partnerships can be designed and enacted in ways that are locally meaningful, mutually reinforcing, and capable of informing policy and practice across diverse education systems

Author

• Ghulam Omar Qargha, The Brookings Institution