Continuous engagement with school
owners, head teachers & teachers
SYSTEMS RESEARCH
Systems Research
Grounding education reform in evidence, lived experience, and continuous learning
At SEED, our systems research is grounded in research, lived experience, and continuous learning from the affordable non-state education sector. We believe that education systems work best when evidence is not only rigorous, but also rooted in the realities of the people who experience policy every day.
SEED synthesises evidence from administrative data, academic research, and the lived experiences of school leaders, teachers, parents, and learners working within underserved communities. We focus on translating complex evidence into decision-ready insights for policymakers, regulators, and system actors, ensuring relevance to live reform processes and real-world constraints.
Our research approach prioritises usability, contextual relevance, and alignment with government decision-making needs, while remaining accountable to the communities and practitioners whose experiences shape both the questions we ask and the solutions we propose.
Our research is people-powered and policy-oriented
Global Schools Forum (GSF), 2024 Annual Meeting
Our Approach to Research & Evidence
We work closely with networks of affordable non-state schools, education practitioners, community leaders & system actors to ensure our evidence reflects how education systems function in practice, not just on paper. Our evidence base is shaped through:
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Insights from parents & communities
navigating access, affordability & quality -
Learning from programme design,
piloting & implementation -
Analysis of administrative, regulatory,
& policy data -
Review & synthesis of relevant
global & local research
This approach allows us to surface practical system bottlenecks, implementation gaps, and scalable opportunities that may not be visible through formal data alone.
SEED is also intentional about ensuring that research does not sit on shelves. Evidence generated through our research feeds directly into policy engagement, advocacy, and systems reform, while insights from communities and practitioners continually refine our research questions, methods and recommendations. We produce policy-relevant outputs for the affordable non-state education sector such as:
Evidence briefs and synthesis notes
Policy memos and technical inputs
Learning documents drawn from implementation experience
Coordinated studies on the affordable non-state education sector
These outputs are designed for decision-makers, not academic publication alone, and are often used to support stakeholder consultations, policy drafting processes, public hearings and public dialogue at national and state levels. For us, research is not neutral or extractive, it is a tool for collective influence. By bridging lived experience and formal policy systems, our research helps ensure that education policy works for people rather than people working around policy.
SEED is committed to making learning open, practical, and usable. We believe that those closest to education challenges are also closest to the solutions and that when their experiences are systematically translated into evidence, policy change becomes both more effective and more just.
Resource Highlights
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Shaping Nigeria’s National Policy
on Non-State Schools -
Evidence Contributions to the
Lagos State Policy on Non-State Schools -
Evidence on Affordable Non-State Schools
& Out-of-School Children in Lagos -
Using Evidence-Led Collective
Approach to Influence Education Systems