Providing equal opportunity, high-quality education, grounded in a deep understanding of educational evidence is a pressing need in the education sector. In response, Queen Rania Foundation (QRF) for Education and Development, in cooperation with the UK-based Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), has sought to translate, adapt, and develop applications for the Teaching and Learning Toolkit.
The Toolkit covers a wide range of topics, such as: "feedback," "collaborative learning," and "social and emotional learning." It aims to provide free global and Arab evidence on a variety of teaching and learning tools to teachers, school leaders, and students; educational institutions, including universities, colleges, and schools; policymakers; and all those concerned with improving education globally and locally in the Arab region.
In 2021, QRF launched the Teaching and Learning Toolkit in Arabic and English. Today, in 2023, we are pleased to announce the launch of its new version. Involving a comprehensive update of the tools, the update includes 30 tools (originally, 35). Some similar tools were merged to enhance interconnectedness (e.g., “Homework”), while others were allocated a separate platform on EEF’s website (e.g., “Early education”).
The updated version presents more fine-grained research findings and applications. Findings from global research are offered in two additional sections: “Key findings” and “Behind the Average,” alongside more detailed evidence in “How effective is the approach?” based on global and local research in the Arab region. Each tool is evaluated according to impact, cost, and security of the evidence based on new reviews of educational research.
In addition, the section “What do I need to consider?” has been replaced by “How could you implement in your setting?” to provide specific strategies that reflect updated research findings. The new section, “Closing the disadvantage gap,” presents global findings on the impact of tool interventions on the targeted skills of disadvantaged students.
QRF and Teaching and Learning Toolkit partners hope that the findings, including those related to disadvantaged students, will inspire researchers and those concerned with education in the Arab region to continue carrying out Toolkit-based research and educational initiatives in local contexts. As they seek to address educational gaps, ensure equal, high-quality education for all students and enable them to be active participants in their own learning, QRF and Toolkit partners look forward to sharing evidence and relevant applications when available.
We are also pleased to share the lessons learned and the applications that we develop in light of the Toolkit evidence. In 2021 and 2022, we focused on developing a practice guide for “Parental engagement” in supporting literacy (Guide: Here). In 2023-2024, we focus on three high-impact tools: "Feedback," "Reading Comprehension Strategies," and "Metacognition and Self-Regulation."
The development of this new platform would not have been possible without the tireless work of the Toolkit leaders at EEF: Jonathan Kay, Muhammad Zaman, and Amy Fox; the team of Toolkit researchers, headed by Dr. Steve Higgins, Professor of Education at Durham University; and the Toolkit team at QRF, including leader, Eng. Sandy Qarmout (2020-2023), Dr. Lama Nassif, Associate Professor of Arabic Studies at Williams College (2022-2023), and Dr. Sandra Baroudi, Assistant Professor of Education at Zayed University (2020).
We further extend thanks and gratitude to Queen Rania Teacher Academy in Jordan and the Jordanian Ministry of Education for continued support and opportunities to share Toolkit research and applications in various contexts. We also extend thanks and appreciation to Dr. Hanada Taha Thomure, the Endowed Chair, Professor of Arabic Language at Zayed University, her team, and colleagues at the Arabic Language Research and Development Center at Zayed University for continued guidance and support.
To view the updated Teaching and Learning toolkit, click here