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Open research questions in Education Systems and Policy

1,110 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 7,870 Education Systems and Policy papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The study identifies the challenge of weak school culture and negative peer behavior in hindering teacher innovation. The research highlights the challenge of lack of vision from school leaders in encouraging teacher innovation. The study also notes the challenge of obstructive bureaucracy in limiting teacher autonomy and innovation.

    Venturing beyond the comfort zone: exploring influential factors in advantaged and disadvantaged schools · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research should include a broader range of teachers, - Research on the impact of school culture and leadership on teacher development is needed

    Venturing beyond the comfort zone: exploring influential factors in advantaged and disadvantaged schools · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies the challenge of improving graduates' career success and building a stronger, more resilient future workforce. The study also identifies the challenge of addressing the lack of confidence and mentorship among students transitioning into the workforce. No other specific technical or domain challenges are identified in the paper.

    Feeding Futures: Can a small-group career guidance workshop improve undergraduate and postgraduate students’ career confidence, knowledge, and goals? · 2026 · DOI

  • Many students lack confidence in transitioning into the workforce, citing a lack of mentorship and reduced control over career trajectories as key barriers to preparedness. There is a need for effective career guidance interventions to address this issue. The study aims to fill this gap by investigating the effectiveness of a small-group career guidance workshop.

    Feeding Futures: Can a small-group career guidance workshop improve undergraduate and postgraduate students’ career confidence, knowledge, and goals? · 2026 · DOI

  • The impact of these incentives, however, on those training in non-shortage areas remains unclear.

    (L)earning to Teach: Financial Inequities Facing Trainee Teachers in England · 2025 · DOI

  • portant and should continue, but the consequences of Adult/Continuing Education are not limited to any single esoteric academic boundary.

    Point of View: Billions of Opportunities for Continuing Education Research · 1987 · DOI

  • The paper identifies the challenge of promoting growth mindset and well-being in students. The study highlights the need for effective collaboration between eTwinning ambassadors and university teachers.

    eTwinning Projects – A Means to Promote Growth Mindset and Well-being in Education · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the benefits of eTwinning projects in education. The study highlights the need for more research on the involvement of university teachers and students in eTwinning projects.

    eTwinning Projects – A Means to Promote Growth Mindset and Well-being in Education · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of a unified labor-market data infrastructure. The need for a customized CBA methodology for evaluating active labor market measures.

    Cost-Benefit Analysis of Vocational Training as an Active Labor Market Measure · 2026 · DOI

  • The limited number of responses means that the findings may not fully represent the broader landscape of CMCs. The sample size of 68 respondents limits the ability to draw broad conclusions. The survey was distributed to a targeted group within the educational and library science community.

    Innovating Curriculum Materials Centers: Programming, Collaboration, and Trends Shaping Teacher Education Resources · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to understand how CMCs navigate current trends and overcome obstacles. There is a need to identify best practices for adapting CMCs to evolving educational standards.

    Innovating Curriculum Materials Centers: Programming, Collaboration, and Trends Shaping Teacher Education Resources · 2026 · DOI

  • The study found that several challenges hinder the implementation of vocational education, including a shortage of practical sessions, theft, and the inadequacy of teaching and learning materials. The study highlights the need for addressing these challenges.

    Integrating vocational skills into secondary curricula · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should investigate the effectiveness of vocational education in preparing students for the workforce. Future research should explore the challenges and opportunities of implementing vocational education in rural areas.

    Integrating vocational skills into secondary curricula · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should explore the development of professional ethical competence in other fields. The paper suggests that future research should focus on the importance of non-economic purposes and values of VET.

    Editorial: 15 years of Nordic VET research · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of how apprentices develop professional ethical competence. The study highlights the need for non-economic purposes and values of VET.

    Editorial: 15 years of Nordic VET research · 2026 · DOI

  • The persistent lack of resources in community learning centres is a serious concern that has not been sufficiently explored. There is a need for research that examines the impact of resource constraints on teaching and learning in community learning centres. The study aims to address this gap by exploring the experiences of educators and centre managers in Johannesburg-based community learning centres.

    The impact of resource constraints on teaching and learning in South Africa’s community learning centres · 2026 · DOI

  • Based on the findings, the study makes the following recommendations: The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) should prioritise targeted investment in physical infrastructure, learning materials, and digital technologies to address material shortfalls at CLCs. Regular and structured training opportunities must be provided to educators to enhance teaching quality and support andragogical innovation. Centre management practices should be strengthened through capacity-building initiatives, improved oversight, and better adherence to existing policy frameworks. Existing policies aimed at supporting CLCs must be actively implemented, monitored, and adapted to meet emerging needs in the adult education sector. Policymakers should consider engaging in partnerships with the private sector, NGOs, and community organisations to mobilise additional resources and foster local ownership of adult education initiatives.

    The impact of resource constraints on teaching and learning in South Africa’s community learning centres · 2026 · DOI

  • Inadequate and outdated workshop infrastructure. A teaching workforce with strong theoretical but limited practical training. Fragmented linkages with industry for practical training and curriculum development.

    Challenges and strategies in implementing technical and vocational education subjects in vocationalized secondary schools · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the literature on the interconnected nature of challenges in TVE implementation. The study highlights the need for nuanced analysis of the dynamic technological relevance of tools and the critical absence of structured industry feedback mechanisms.

    Challenges and strategies in implementing technical and vocational education subjects in vocationalized secondary schools · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies challenges related to the development of academic learning support programs that cater to the needs of diverse student cohorts. The study highlights the importance of addressing the technological skills and navigation skills of students, particularly those from rural and remote areas. The research notes the challenges of supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds in developing their cultural and social capital.

    Embedded academic learning support program: fields, rules of the game, and capital development in an Australian regional university · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the existing research on academic learning support programs, particularly in the context of Australian regional universities. The study highlights the need to develop programs that attend to students' trajectories, habitus, and the rules of academic fields. The research gap is related to the lack of understanding of how embedded academic learning support programs can support students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

    Embedded academic learning support program: fields, rules of the game, and capital development in an Australian regional university · 2026 · DOI

  • Understanding these prior work experiences and the financial benefits (or losses) they face when entering teaching can offer insight into how to attract and retain these educators, yet very little is known about this “front end” of the CTE teacher pipeline.

    The Front End of the CTE Teacher Pipeline: Characterizing the Prior Work Experiences of CTE Teachers · 2025 · DOI

  • Examples of barriers include formal and informal English proficiency requirements, CTE teachers with limited knowledge of scaffolding instruction for ML-EL students, and state credentialing policies requiring social security numbers.

    From Classroom to Career: Exploring Opportunity to Learn in Career and Technical Education Programs for Multilingual Students Classified as English Learners · 2025 · DOI

  • Future research might consider Gutiérrez's eight dimensions of rehumanizing mathematics (2018), Harro's Cycle of Liberation (2018), or Moore's four active antiracism practices (2021), to name only a few of the many critical frameworks that can be used as we collectively move this work forward.

    Mathematics specialists as catalysts for equity: Examining barriers and opportunities for transformative change in mathematics education · 2024 · DOI

  • Purpose Despite the continuous growth of empirical studies exploring professional learning communities (PLCs) across different education systems, little is known about PLC instruments developed and used in existing research.

    A review of professional learning community (PLC) instruments · 2022 · DOI

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1,110 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 7,870 Education Systems and Policy papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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