Call for Proposals

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Education International has calls for proposals for two research areas in the context of Covid-19:

Commercialisation and privatisation in/of education in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic
Professional autonomy in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic

Research on commercialisation and privatisation in/of education in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic

Statement of purpose

Covid-19 has paralysed schools and education institutions across the globe. On the date of releasing this call, (06/04/20), there are country-wide school closures in 188 countries, affecting over 1.5 billion learners – more than 90% of all learners enrolled. Governments are faced with the unprecedented challenge of ensuring that education continues, even whilst students must remain at home.

Research is needed to explore the extent to which education is being commercialised as it is moved online in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The research will form part of Education International’s Global Response campaign on the commercialisation and marketisation of education.

Objectives:

The findings will be used to inform EI’s global level and its member organisations’ national level advocacy strategies to pressure governments to question the expansion of for-profit activities in education.

The purpose of this study is threefold:

To deepen our understanding of the extent to which privatisation/commercialisation is advanced/promoted as part of the crisis response.
To identify which education corporations and other actors to target as part of our projects’ campaign activities and why.
To identify which countries to target as part of our projects’ campaign activities and why in order to further develop country case studies

The research will investigate the involvement of private sector actors in in education during the Covid-19 pandemic and the extent to which the abrupt switch to online education has led to commercialisation in/of education. More specifically, the research will aim to:

Highlight the positioning of education within the platform economy
Map the commercial platforms and ed-tech products most widely used during the crisis and their business models
Outline and analyse the risks of privacy infringements for both students and teachers as education moves online
Provide an overview of the copyright restrictions and ownership rules for material developed and shared by teachers through online platforms
Explore the accessibility and costs of learning platforms and online learning materials available
Explore the impact of the pandemic on the purchasing of for-profit shadow education
Explore the extent to which the use of online platforms exposes students and teachers to targeted advertising and marketing
Review the use of non-commercial platforms for distance learning and the open educational resources (OER) available

Expected Outputs:

A draft report which includes a brief review of the literature, mapping of the current situation related to the theme, critical analysis of the theme and recommendations.
Final report (15-20 pages)
A short blog post about the research findings for publication on one of the EI websites;
Virtual presentation of research findings

Scope of Work

The research will be a desk study with a global focus. It will scoping study to inform further research and advocacy.

Budget:

3000 EUR

Terms of the Contract

The planned research period is a total of approximately 4-6 weeks, during which the contractor will liaise with an EI contact person on the progress of the research. The research will remain confidential to EI and the contractor until its publication.

Schedule of Payments

50 % on receipt of the signed contract (guiding framework)
50 % on receipt of the final report

Proposal Preparation

Interested parties are requested to submit their CV and list of publications accompanied by a brief concept note (max 1 page) by 19 April. The concept note should state the research methodology, the scope and scale of the research, a proposed timeline for the 4-6 weeks.

Applicants should submit their proposals by e-mail to [email protected] copying [email protected] with “Commercialisation during COVID-19”in the subject line.

Should you have further questions or require more information, please do not hesitate to contact us by email: [email protected] copying [email protected].

About Education International (EI):

EI is the world’s largest federation of unions, representing over thirty million teachers and education workers across the globe. This research is part of EI’s Global Response Campaign against the increasing privatisation and commercialisation of education. >www.ei-ie.org

Research on professional autonomy in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic

Statement of purpose

Covid-19 has paralysed schools and education institutions across the globe. On the date of releasing this call, (06/04/20), there are country-wide school closures in 188 countries, affecting over 1.5 billion learners – more than 90% of all learners enrolled. Governments and educators are faced with the unprecedented challenge of ensuring that education continues, even whilst students must remain at home.

For many countries this has meant a sudden switch to the provision of online distance learning, from university level right down to some online learning in early childhood education. This exacerbates educational inequalities, with many countries having far from universal access to technology for students. However, by moving education online, the modes of teaching and learning must be fundamentally adapted and revised. This entails the potential emergence of new risks to and possible opportunities for enhancing teachers’ professional autonomy as well as academic freedom. Research is needed to explore the myriad ways in which the switch to online distance learning impacts teachers’ professional autonomy and academic freedom.

Objectives:

This research will explore the impact of moving education online on teachers’ professional autonomy as well as academic freedom. It will include:

Investigating the possible existence and extent of the following challenges and changes to professional autonomy and academic freedom:
(New) modes of teacher accountability and teacher leadership implemented whilst teaching and learning is being conducted at distance
Limitations imposed by online learning platforms which may affect what can or cannot be taught
Surveillance of online teaching and learning
Trolling in online teaching and learning
Increased standardisation in teaching and learning
Mapping and providing examples of education unions’ responses to the challenges above
Investigating the opportunities for enhancing teachers’ professional autonomy and academic freedom as education moves online.

Expected Outputs:

A draft report, which includes a brief review of the relevant literature, mapping of the current situation related to the theme, critical analysis of the theme and recommendations.
Final report (15-20 pages)
A short blog post (800-1000 words) about the research findings for publication on one of the EI websites;
Virtual presentation of research findings

Scope of Work

A desk study with a global focus. It will scoping study to inform further research and advocacy.

Budget:

3000 EUR

T erms of the Contract

Schedule of Payments

50 % on receipt of the signed contract (guiding framework)
50 % on receipt of the final report

Proposal Preparation

Applicants should submit their proposals by e-mail to [email protected] copying [email protected] with “Professional autonomy during COVID-19”in the subject line.

Should you have further questions or require more information, please do not hesitate to contact us by email: [email protected] copying [email protected].

About Education International (EI):

EI is the world’s largest federation of unions, representing over thirty million teachers and education workers across the globe. >www.ei-ie.org

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