New Report on Kenya and Senegal’s Education Research Landscape

A new in-depth study by ESSA and Southern Hemisphere highlights critical gaps and opportunities in the education research ecosystems of Kenya and Senegal, providing valuable guidance for funders, policymakers, and academic institutions across Africa. The report, released in April 2025, examines who produces research, the prioritized themes, and alignment with national education goals, especially foundational learning. It reveals that Kenya leads the region in research output, but disparities persist, including under-researched areas like numeracy and early childhood education, gender imbalances in authorship, and limited funding transparency.

The study also finds that collaboration remains limited, with Kenya focusing mainly on domestic research and Senegal engaging internationally but lacking intra-African partnerships. To strengthen African-led education research, the report calls for country-specific strategies that address underexplored topics, increase funding visibility, promote gender equity, and foster regional collaboration. These findings offer a roadmap for donors, governments, and institutions to invest strategically and improve education outcomes across the continent. The study was conducted by ESSA and Southern Hemisphere.

Click here to read the full report.