Research & Evidence

The preparatory work of the ValuED Project formed the analytical backbone of the ValuED Project, generating the evidence needed to guide policy reform, curriculum redesign, capacity development, and school-level interventions. The consortium conducted a series of complementary studies at national and European levels to understand how value-based education, democratic citizenship, and inclusion are conceptualized, implemented, and experienced across Kosovo’s education system. Led by the University of Munich in collaboration with the University of Prishtina and University of Graz and other national partners the work focused on understanding how democratic and inclusive values are embedded in education systems and teacher development frameworks.

Through seven interlinked studies, the evidence base examines the European and national contexts of value-based education, maps Kosovo’s current education landscape, and identifies needs at all institutional levels — from policymakers and teacher educators to school leaders and classroom teachers. It combines theoretical research, policy analysis, and large-scale needs assessments to establish a clear evidence base for reform.

By establishing a rigorous evidence base, this work ensures that all project reforms—policies, academic programs, school tools, and training modules—are grounded in real system needs, aligned with European frameworks, and informed by the voices of educators across Kosovo. The results form the backbone of ValuED’s future actions: designing national frameworks, revising teacher education curricula, and developing targeted capacity-building programs that reflect EU values of inclusion, equality, human rights, and democratic citizenship. Collectively, these studies provide a comprehensive roadmap for transforming Kosovo’s teacher development policies and practices into a sustainable model of value-based education.

For accessing this studies, please contact the Project Coordinator. 

Needs Assessments with Educators, Students, Teachers, and School Directors

Three large-scale assessments captured the perspectives of the key actors who directly shape the system: Teacher educators and students emphasised the need for more practical tools, clearer integration of values into coursework, and increased collaboration between faculties and schools; Teachers and school directors highlighted challenges related to classroom diversity, behavioural issues, democratic participation, and the limited availability of continuous professional development opportunities that address values and inclusion; Local and national stakeholders pointed to coordination gaps, varying levels of institutional readiness, and the need for stronger policy–practice alignmen

The national needs assessments created a detailed picture of how value-based education, inclusive education, and democratic citizenship are currently understood, enacted, and supported across Kosovo’s teacher education system and schools. Three complementary assessments were carried out at different levels of the system, each capturing specific perspectives and challenges.

The first assessment gathered insights from teacher educators and students in faculties of education across the country. Using open-ended surveys with 52 teacher educators and 125 students, it examined how far value-based and inclusive education are integrated in initial teacher preparation. The findings show strong awareness of these principles but highlight inconsistent practical application, limited opportunities for students to practice value-based approaches in real classroom settings, and a need for clearer guidance and structured curricular integration. These insights now feed directly into the pre-service curriculum reforms planned under the project activities.

A second assessment focused on practicing teachers and school directors, combining surveys and interviews across municipalities. This analysis revealed that while educators widely support democratic and inclusive values, schools struggle with limited resources, lack of practical tools, and insufficient professional development. Directors emphasized the need to strengthen school-wide systems, provide clearer expectations, and build stronger municipal-level support structures. These findings directly inform the design of national in-service training modules and the upcoming school-level interventions under the project activities.

Taken together, the needs assessments offer a comprehensive, system-wide map of current practices, gaps, and priorities. They confirm strong commitment among educators but underline the need for more coherent guidance, expanded practical learning opportunities, and sustainable support structures—forming a core evidence base for the policy, curriculum, and school development work that follows in the next phases of ValuED.