Mapping educational inequalities in Europe: An interactive visualisation of indicators and policy reforms

Research topic/aim

This paper presents an interactive map of significant factors of inequalities in education in Europe [1], created within the Horizon2020 STRIDE project [2]. The study falls under the field of Educational measurement and assessment, focusing on how inequality indicators and education policy reforms interact over time and across countries. The map aims to make complex comparative data on equity, inclusion, and resilience in education accessible to researchers, policymakers, and relevant stakeholders. By visualising educational outcome measures and policy developments, the map supports evidence-informed decision-making and understanding of the structural factors influencing student achievement across Europe.

Theoretical framework

The conceptual foundation of the map draws on research in comparative education, social stratification, and policy analysis, integrating perspectives on educational equity. It builds on the assumption that educational outcomes are shaped by a combination of structural inequalities (e.g., socio-economic disparities, parental/migration background, urban/rural divide) and policy interventions aimed at mitigating them. The framework links measurement of inequalities to the policy cycles within European education systems, inspired by EU frameworks for monitoring social inclusion and sustainable development goals (SDG 4[3]). This dual focus allows for the exploration of how policy reform trajectories may correspond to changes in inequality indicators over time.

Methodology/research design

The interactive map visualises cross-national indicators on educational outcomes and policy reform data. The design combines descriptive statistics, trend analyses, and interactive data visualisation techniques. Data sources include major international databases such as PISA, TIMMS, ICCS and PIRLS, complemented by national reform reports.
The map consists of two components:

Inequality Indicators: allowing users to compare disparities across countries, track indicator evolution since 1999, and download data.
Policy Reforms: offering downloadable summaries of major education reforms.

Users can generate visual comparisons, view descriptive summaries, and access country-specific reports, enabling both macro- and micro-level exploration of European systems.

Expected results/findings

The interactive platform highlights significant variation in educational inequality trends across countries and over time, showing how reforms targeting inclusion and resilience can relate to measurable changes in student outcomes. It is expected that the findings will reveal clusters of systems with similar reform patterns and inequality trajectories, offering insight into policy effectiveness.

Relevance to Nordic educational research

For Nordic educational research, this paper offers comparative insights into how equity and inclusion evolve across diverse policy contexts, positioning all Nordic countries within a broader European framework. In the interactive map, users can compare indicators across the Nordic region and beyond, examining how each system responds to social and educational challenges. The platform enables the download of detailed policy reform summaries, which include the title of the reform, year of implementation, educational level, stated aims, and key actions associated with each measure for each country separately.

[1] available at https://apps.islab.ntua.gr/stride

[2] This work was conducted in course of the Horizon2020 STRIDE project, which is co-funded by the European Union (GA 101132339) and UK Research and Innovation (GA 10108849).

[3] Aim: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all