Partnerships in Education Research in Africa

Abstract

The chapter demonstrates how research partnerships with individuals within the same country (national), across countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA; South–South), and with partners outside SSA (South–North) have influenced the visibility of early years’ education research by Africa-based authors. Early years’ education, encompassing both early childhood education and the early grades of primary school, is beneficial for future learning and life opportunities. However, significant gaps remain in equitable access and the quality of provision. Consequently, early years’ education is increasingly a priority of national African governments, cross-regional bodies such as the African Union, and international development agencies and funders. This calls for evidence that is contextually relevant to inform policy and practice. This chapter draws on a mapping of early years’ education research published between 2020 and 2022, using systematic searches of international databases, such as Web of Science and Scopus, as well as in-country-level sources in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania, to identify locally published journal articles, working papers, and research reports. Findings show that early years’ education research in SSA is limited and concentrated in a few countries. South–North partnerships dominate, particularly in research indexed in international databases, while South–South partnerships remain rare. Also, research funding strongly shapes partnership patterns, and a small number of institutions produce most of the publications. Further, gender disparities persist, with women underrepresented and having less access to funding and visibility. The findings offer insights into early learning research partnerships and compare national and regional publications with international journal articles.