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Thematic Research Report series

Thematic Research Reports

241 complete publications covering the years 2005 to 2026.

Showing 12 of 64 results

241 publications in this series

ICEQC-R-2026-08

Thematic Research Report

Post-Secondary Participation, Graduation and the Limits of Gross Enrolment Ratios

A comparative indicator study of participation denominators, programme diversity, graduation and responsible comparison

The gross enrolment ratio for post-secondary or tertiary education relates total enrolment, regardless of age, to a population associated with the official age range for the level. It is useful for describing the scale of participation, but it is not a cohort entry rate, a probability of access or a graduation measure. Values can exceed one hundred where enrolment includes older learners, repeated study, delayed entry or participation across several programme types. Interpretation must therefore state the level classification, numerator coverage, reference population and cross-border treatment before comparison.

Research category
Data and Indicator Research
Report archetype
Comparative Indicator Study
Geographic scope
Global
ICEQC-R-2026-05

Thematic Research Report

Access and Equity in Education: Comparative Progress from Unequal Starting Points

A comparative indicator study of participation, progression, learning, distribution and responsible comparison

Comparative progress should be interpreted from unequal starting points without treating a low baseline as either an excuse or an automatic source of apparent success. Levels, absolute change, relative change and distance to an agreed target answer different questions and should be reported together where possible.

Research category
Data and Indicator Research
Report archetype
Comparative Indicator Study
Geographic scope
Global
ICEQC-R-2026-02

Thematic Research Report

The Humanitarian Data Gap in Global Estimates of Out-of-School Children

A comparative indicator study of population coverage, displacement, insecurity, missing observations and uncertainty

Global estimates of out-of-school children depend on population denominators, enrolment and attendance evidence, age definitions and the observation of people outside ordinary household and administrative frames. Humanitarian conditions can weaken every component at once. Conflict, displacement, inaccessible territory, institutional closure and rapid movement create missingness that is not random.

Research category
Data and Indicator Research
Report archetype
Comparative Indicator Study
Geographic scope
Global
ICEQC-R-2025-10

Thematic Research Report

Costing the Teaching Workforce: Salary, Workload, Attrition and Professional Development

A comparative indicator study of recurrent cost, effective capacity, workforce flows and evidential limits

Teaching-workforce cost cannot be represented adequately by a salary total divided by headcount. A defensible account connects compensation, contracted and actual workload, non-teaching duties, vacancies, absence, attrition, recruitment, induction and professional development to the educational service available to learners. Each measure requires a defined population, period, currency basis and institutional coverage.

Research category
Data and Indicator Research
Report archetype
Comparative Indicator Study
Geographic scope
Global
ICEQC-R-2025-09

Thematic Research Report

Adult Literacy and Numeracy after a Decade of Stagnation in Several Advanced Systems

A comparative indicator study of constructs, populations, assessment conditions and valid public claims

Foundational literacy and numeracy are essential capabilities, but their measurement is not a single interchangeable operation. For adult literacy and numeracy after prolonged stagnation, this proposition directly informs the issue under review within Executive summary: whether public systems provide accessible, sustained and recognised opportunities to improve proficiency; the competent body should identify the population, decision authority and review point. An assessment observes performance on specified tasks, in a language, format, setting and period, for a population reached by its design. Comparable reporting requires clarity about the construct, proficiency standard, target population, sampling or coverage, administration and uncertainty. A percentage without those elements cannot support a valid comparison.

Research category
Data and Indicator Research
Report archetype
Comparative Indicator Study
Geographic scope
Global
ICEQC-R-2025-02

Thematic Research Report

Tertiary Attainment and Unequal Opportunity: Intergenerational Evidence and Measurement

A comparative indicator study of attainment, parental background, pathways, distribution and responsible inference

Tertiary attainment describes the share of a defined population holding qualifications within a stated classification. It does not by itself measure current participation, completion quality, field, institutional experience or equal opportunity. Intergenerational analysis adds information about parental education or related background, but definitions, recall, age cohorts and survey coverage materially affect comparison.

Research category
Data and Indicator Research
Report archetype
Comparative Indicator Study
Geographic scope
Global
ICEQC-R-2024-04

Thematic Research Report

Monitoring Leadership, Inclusion and Learning: Indicator Boundaries and Evidence Gaps

A comparative indicator study of authority, institutional conditions, participation, learning and responsible inference

Leadership, inclusion and learning are connected but distinct objects of monitoring. Leadership indicators describe authority, roles, preparation, professional conditions and practices. Inclusion indicators examine access, participation, belonging, support and barriers. Learning indicators concern knowledge and capabilities demonstrated under defined conditions. Combining them into one score obscures the decisions each measure can support.

Research category
Data and Indicator Research
Report archetype
Comparative Indicator Study
Geographic scope
Global
ICEQC-R-2024-02

Thematic Research Report

Education Leadership Standards and Preparation: A Comparative Policy Profile

A quality improvement study of authority, conditions, evidence, professional capacity and correction

feasibility and before, attributing, responsibility in Education Leadership Standards and Preparation: A Comparative Policy Profile require Education Leadership Standards and Preparation: A Comparative Policy Profile to connect evidence with delivery, unequal effect and correction. A leader may influence priorities, organisation, support and culture, while law, finance, staffing, curriculum, infrastructure, population and prior conditions remain controlled elsewhere or jointly. Evaluation should map authority before attributing responsibility.

Research category
Data and Indicator Research
Report archetype
Comparative Indicator Study
Geographic scope
Global
ICEQC-R-2024-01

Thematic Research Report

Education Spending per Child, Debt Pressure and Data Availability

A comparative indicator study of fiscal effort, real resources, execution, distribution and evidential limits

Education spending per child is a useful but constructed indicator. Its interpretation depends on the expenditure boundary, learner denominator, price basis, level of education, fiscal year, execution status and treatment of external and household finance. Comparability should be demonstrated rather than presumed.

Research category
Data and Indicator Research
Report archetype
Comparative Indicator Study
Geographic scope
Global
ICEQC-R-2023-08

Thematic Research Report

Digital Education Investment: Access, Use and Evidence of Educational Benefit

A comparative indicator study of expenditure, usable service, participation, learning and distribution

Digital education investment should be reported through a chain from public expenditure and acquired resources to usable access, educational participation, learning and distributional effect. Expenditure, devices, licences, connections and registrations describe inputs or activities. None establishes educational benefit without evidence concerning who could use the service, how it supported teaching and what changed.

Research category
Data and Indicator Research
Report archetype
Comparative Indicator Study
Geographic scope
Global
ICEQC-R-2023-07

Thematic Research Report

International Comparisons of Learning after Pandemic Disruption: Interpretive Limits

A comparative indicator study of constructs, populations, baselines, disruption and uncertainty

International comparison after pandemic disruption requires a common construct and a transparent account of unequal opportunity. Countries and populations experienced different closure periods, remote arrangements, return patterns, curriculum changes and assessment conditions. A score difference cannot be attributed to disruption without evidence separating these conditions from prior trends, population change and measurement differences.

Research category
Data and Indicator Research
Report archetype
Comparative Indicator Study
Geographic scope
Global
ICEQC-R-2023-06

Thematic Research Report

Connectivity Is Not Participation: Measuring Effective Access to Digital Learning

A comparative indicator study of household access, institutional provision, participation and educational use

The digital divide in emergency education is not captured by a single measure of internet access. For measurement of effective access to digital learning, the proposition has a direct bearing on the issue under review within Executive summary: whether connectivity results in sustained, supported educational participation; the competent body should identify the affected population, decision authority and review point. Educational use depends on a suitable device, affordable and reliable connectivity, electricity, accessible content, learner capability, household conditions, teacher interaction and institutional support. An indicator should identify which link it observes and should not infer the rest.

Research category
Data and Indicator Research
Report archetype
Comparative Indicator Study
Geographic scope
Global