The 6th EE4A and the Inaugural EDF-K conference 2025
1.0 Introduction
1.1 EE4A
Kenya’s Education Evidence for Action (EE4A) innovation has been central in creating the space and connecting policy stakeholders to and with the academia and non-state actors. The philosophy of the network is embedded in its collaborative effort rather than a siloed approach to impact and evidence sharing. Composed of civil society, academics and the Ministry of Education, EE4A was established in 2015 as an initiative that connects evidence producers and users in education, to share and apply research evidence to inform policy and practice. The innovation fosters two main aspirations: a Biennial conference and evidence synthesis and advocacy for policy and practice reforms that are informed by evidence. EE4A has held five biennial conferences and taken advantage of policy windows to contribute to evidence-informed discourses to date. The 5th Biennial conference in 2023 was unique with the participation of about 40 Deans of Education. The conference was also preceded by a one-day pre-conference by the Deans with discussions focusing on teacher education, curriculum and education research. Currently, EE4A is in the process of organizing its 6th biennial conference, and plans are at advanced stage to finalize on the theme, sub-themes as well venue and conference dates.
1.2 The Education Dean Forum – Kenya (EDF-K)
The 6th Biennial Conference is co-hosted by the Education Deans Forum – Kenya (EDF-K). This is a consortium of all the Deans of the Schools of Education in both public and private universities in Kenya. The goal of the Forum is to facilitate dialogue on matters of common concern in the delivery of teacher education and to bring to the attention of policymakers and practitioners the emerging issues about teacher education. The Forum was established in 2019 as a national platform for dialogue on critical issues affecting teacher education in Kenya in response to the adoption and roll-out of the competency-based curriculum in basic education.
Since its inception, EDF-K has organized several forums, bringing together national key stakeholders to align the teacher education programs to the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms. In addition, in collaboration with development partners, EDF-K has developed a roadmap for transforming teacher education. The road map stipulates five action points for sustainable teacher education reforms that include aligning the teacher education curriculum to competency-based teacher education, retooling teacher educators and faculty members in the university, institutional change management, setting the teacher education research agenda, and teacher education policy reforms. Currently, the curriculum reforms and retooling of teacher educators is ongoing. To harness teacher education research that can inform teacher education policy and practice, EDF-K is partnering with like-minded institutions to host an inaugural teacher education conference in 2025.
2.0 Joint Conference
The year 2025 is unique for both EE4A and the EDF-K since both have a conference focusing on Education in Kenya. For EE4A it will be the 6th biennial conference while EDF-K will be hosting an inaugural teacher education conference. Representatives of the two forums held a joint meeting on 6th February 2025 to seek ways of co-hosting a teacher education conference. While the EDF-K has already release the call for abstracts, the meeting observed that the themes of individual forum’s conferences were similar and therefore could be integrated. The theme for EDF-K’s teacher education conference is “Re-Imagining Teacher Education for Sustainable Development in Africa“, while that for EE4A is “System of Education: Building Partnerships, Embracing Equity, and Driving Innovation“. The join secretariat meeting agreed to develop a concept note making the case for integration, foster discussions towards the integration and facilitate.
2.1 Conference Theme: Re-imagining Education in Africa: Reforming teacher education for sustainable development.
This theme puts to the centre the role of teachers in the education reform agenda. In pursuit of this aim, this conference seeks to achieve three objectives:
1. To strengthen collaborations among evidence producers and users.
2. To share and apply evidence to inform education policy formulation, review, and implementation.
3. To showcase proven teaching and pedagogical solutions to improve learning.
2.2 Conference Subthemes:
Teacher Education Policy: This sub-theme will focus on sharing and applying evidence to inform teacher education policy.
Teacher Education Curriculum and Approaches: The sub-theme targets evidence on teacher training and methodologies.
Institutional Leadership for Curriculum Delivery: This sub-theme will focus on transformational leadership.
Foundational Learning: Teachers are central to learning and evidence-based “best bets” in teacher education.
3.0 Conference Date and Venue
Having considered various academic aspects and considering that the expected attendants and presenters are the same for the two conferences, the team agreed that the conference should take place on 26th- 28th August 2025, at Embu University.