May 21, 2025

Educational inequality is not just a research issue – it is a societal challenge. While substantial longitudinal research has been conducted, critical blind spots remain. Targeted policy action, infrastructure investment, and more inclusive research efforts are essential for achieving a more equitable educational future across Europe.

As part of the MapIE project, we conducted a scoping literature review of the existing longitudinal studies that investigated educational inequalities across Europe. Key findings reveal that studies have focused on the effects of socioeconomic status and measurements of academic outcomes. Further, our results indicate an underrepresentation of studies conducted in Eastern and Southern Europe, and a shortage of research into early education, intersectionality, and the effectiveness of intervention studies. Policymakers should support research that addresses these critical gaps.

Below you can find a policy brief summarizing the report. The full report can be downloaded from here.

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Educational inequality is not just a research issue – it is a societal challenge. While substantial longitudinal research has been conducted, critical …

Educational inequalities are a growing concern across Europe. As societies undergo significant transformations, such as demographic shifts, economic changes, technological advancements, and increasing migration, ensuring equal access to quality education becomes more critical than ever. Due to these rapid changes, it is critical to look at educational inequalities across different educational contexts and models to understand how those contexts shape the development of inequalities and to identify the existing mechanisms that help compensate for them.  

In Memorium, Monica Rosén

A founding member of the MapIE project, Monica Rosén, Professor of Education at the Department of Education and Special Education at the …

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

 

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