New Publication - Beyond the silver bullet: unveiling multiple pathways to school turnaround

30 May, 2024

Research on school improvement shows multiple factors aid turnarounds at underperforming schools. Using qualitative comparative analysis of 77 Swedish schools over 12 years, no single solution was found. Instead, different factor combinations work, depending on the local context. This has implications for school improvement research and education policy.

In a new research study, we present an alternative to universal solutions and checklists for school improvement. We examined all secondary schools (högstadium) in Sweden from 2008 to 2019 to identify strategies that can help the weakest schools improve. The study focuses on the bottom quarter (369 schools), where many students finish their education without the qualifications needed for upper secondary school (gymnasium). Of these, 42 schools successfully turned their performance around. The study identifies three main pathways to school turnaround, demonstrating that schools do not need to improve everything at once. Meanwhile, the results emphasise the need for careful analysis before implementing changes. Despite the absence of a “silver bullet,” this research offers hope that tailored strategies can effectively revitalise struggling schools.

Read the full research paper here.

In Swedish: Debatt-artikel i Göteborgs Posten "Ingen 'one size fits all' när skolor ska förbättras

CELE GAPP Education Equality Article Publication