A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on learning progress and inequality during summer vacations

Project holders : 

• Bastian Betthaeuser (CRIS)
• Anders Bach-Mortensen (Carlsberg Foundation, University of Oxford) 

Project description : 

A key question in education policy is whether and to what extent the learning gap between children from different socio-economic backgrounds widens when schools are closed during summer vacations. A growing number of studies address this question, but findings vary depending on context. We propose to conduct a pre-registered systematic review, quality appraisal, and meta- analysis of the existing literature.

First, we will systematically search relevant academic and policy databases from different disciplines.

Second, we will assess the quality of the existing body of evidence and identify common risks of bias.

Third, we will extract and meta-analyze the information from all identified studies to address the following substantive questions:

(1) How does the length of summer vacations affect educational inequality?

(2) How does this vary across school subjects and grade levels?

(3) How does this differ across countries, and what factors explain cross-national differences (if any)?

The findings will serve as a basis for reforming education policy on the length of summer vacations and the provision of summer learning programs for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Poster of the project - June 2023