A Situational Analysis on the State of the Education Research Field in Africa

26 March 2024

In a new report, the situational analysis of Enhancing Education Research in Africa (EERA) reveals a promising landscape characterised by the dedication of the actors’ and rapid growth in research publications.

However, a concerning trend emerges: up to 90% of African education research publications are self-funded, with international sources providing most of the funding for the remaining 10%.

This reliance on external funding hinders the quality and quantity of research outputs. Our analysis reveals an immature education research landscape across Africa, compounding the challenges of external funding dependency. This disconnects between funding sources and research needs not only diminishes research quality but also widens the gap between produced research and required knowledge for decision-makers.

The findings include the following: 

• Knowledge base: Research outputs aligned with local priorities are growing, but limited funding affects their quality, quantity, and usefulness for decision-makers and impact. The field is dominated by a few specific countries: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. 

• Research Agenda: Emerging partnerships between governments and researchers are contributing to the development of a shared vision for education research priorities. However, this is the case only in a few countries and where such an alignment exists, the lack of funding remains a serious threat. 

• Actors: Researchers report insufficient collaboration and the absence of a strong research culture. Women and early career researchers face barriers. The ratio of male to female academic staff across sub-Saharan Africa is 3 to 1. 

• Infrastructure: Education research networks are emerging across all regions. Institutional repositories and dissemination platforms are actively raising the profile of Africa education research and researchers. Growth is limited by inadequate institutional support. 

ESSA and Southern Hemisphere released these findings today in a report titled A Situational Analysis on the State of the Education Research Field in Africa. Over 200 researchers and policymakers in East, West, Southern, and Central African countries participated in the study through focus groups and interviews conducted in 2023. The ESSA and Southern Hemisphere team reviewed nearly 100 documents and analysed over 5,000 publications from Africa. 

The study, funded by Imaginable Futures, Echidna Giving, and the Jacobs Foundation, used Bridgespan’s 'field-building framework' to assess five main characteristics of the field of education research in Africa: Knowledge base, resources (funding), field-level agenda, actors and infrastructure. 

Dr Laté Lawson, Senior Research Manager at ESSA, comments,"These findings underscore the urgent need to address the funding disparity within African education research. While there's commendable growth and dedication among researchers, the heavy dependence on external sources undermines the autonomy of researchers and the relevance of research to local contexts." 

Dena Lomofsky of Southern Hemisphere emphasises, 'Enhancing African education research demands a comprehensive strategy. These findings present an opportunity to engage and develop actionable support for African researchers, requiring a concerted effort from funders and decision-makers to prioritise financial resources." 

In the words of a researcher and university lecturer, "Doing research in a particular area you need funds, but this is not forthcoming. This may hinder the sample size, and once this is limited, you may not generate the data that can be generalised to the larger population because you are confined to the size of the sample to the size of your pocket." 

The report recommends that funders, decision-makers, and researchers collaborate to support cohesive research agendas aligned with national priorities and promote gender equity. Additionally, the report advocates for better coordination among researchers, capacity-building programmes, and collective efforts to influence decision-makers to allocate more local budgetary resources to education research. 

For more information: Contact Izel Kipruto – izel@essa-africa.org 

Click here to download the report

ESSA-Education Sub Saharan Africa improves education using evidence and data from Africa in research, advocacy and programme design. ESSA takes a systems approach by identifying challenges and co-designing solutions in partnership with local education researchers, higher education leaders, policymakers, funders and employers to improve education outcomes for young people. Website: www.essa-africa.org 

Southern Hemisphere is an African, women-owned socio-economic development consultancy with the single-minded focus of creating meaningful social change. Its participatory approach involves collaborating with our clients to achieve a shared end vision for beneficiaries. Website: www.southernhemisphere.co.za