Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LINEup (LINEup - Longitudinal data for INequalities in Education)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2024-02-01 al 2025-07-31
Education is one of the most powerful drivers of equality, yet many students across Europe still face unequal opportunities to succeed. Addressing these inequalities, by strengthening basic skills and reducing early school leaving, is a central priority of the European Education Area and is further supported by broader EU initiatives such as the Union of Skills. To achieve this goal, policymakers and practitioners need robust evidence on when and why inequalities emerge, and how schools can respond effectively.
The LINEup project responds to this need by focusing on longitudinal data – information that tracks students and schools over time. Such data provide powerful insights into learning trajectories and offer unique opportunities to design more effective responses to educational inequalities.
Bringing together universities, research centres and public authorities, LINEup maps and analyses longitudinal datasets covering primary and secondary education (ISCED 1–3) in 32 European countries. The project aims to identify which data are available, how they are used, and to what extent they can be made comparable. It combines large-scale data analysis with in-depth case studies in schools, exploring how families, teachers and communities shape students’ engagement, and how targeted interventions can make a difference.
By expanding the knowledge base on students’ educational journeys, LINEup contributes to identifying the key factors that shape performance in basic skills and to designing student-centred strategies that help schools meet the needs of all learners. For researchers it offers new tools for comparative analysis; for policymakers and practitioners it provides accessible evidence to support measures that reduce inequalities, improve attainment, and foster more equitable school environments.
The LINEup project responds to this need by focusing on longitudinal data – information that tracks students and schools over time. Such data provide powerful insights into learning trajectories and offer unique opportunities to design more effective responses to educational inequalities.
Bringing together universities, research centres and public authorities, LINEup maps and analyses longitudinal datasets covering primary and secondary education (ISCED 1–3) in 32 European countries. The project aims to identify which data are available, how they are used, and to what extent they can be made comparable. It combines large-scale data analysis with in-depth case studies in schools, exploring how families, teachers and communities shape students’ engagement, and how targeted interventions can make a difference.
By expanding the knowledge base on students’ educational journeys, LINEup contributes to identifying the key factors that shape performance in basic skills and to designing student-centred strategies that help schools meet the needs of all learners. For researchers it offers new tools for comparative analysis; for policymakers and practitioners it provides accessible evidence to support measures that reduce inequalities, improve attainment, and foster more equitable school environments.
During its first 18 months, LINEup has laid the groundwork for a comprehensive exploration of longitudinal data on students’ learning outcomes in Europe.
A first milestone was the systematic literature review, through which the consortium examined existing research based on longitudinal and repeated cross-sectional designs to study educational inequalities. The review identified 77 datasets, 54 analytical methods, and 70 variables, organized into a conceptual model with four clusters - student, family, teacher, school and education system. This model highlights the multiple and interrelated factors that shape educational inequalities.
On this basis, the consortium carried out a mapping of existing longitudinal datasets across 32 countries (the 27 EU Member States, three European Education Area associated countries – Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – plus Switzerland and the United Kingdom). More than 200 potential datasets were reviewed, of which 104 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the mapping. Each dataset was described in terms of its structure, scope and potential for analysing students’ educational outcomes and trajectories. The mapping revealed that strong data infrastructures are concentrated in Western and Northern Europe, while significant gaps remain in several Central and Eastern countries - underscoring the uneven coverage of longitudinal data in education.
In parallel, the project developed the Education Data Explorer, a user-friendly, open-access platform that visualizes the results of the mapping. The tool enables researchers and educational stakeholders to discover available data sources, explore their features, and assess their analytical potential. By making this information easily accessible, the Explorer represents a key step towards greater transparency and accessibility of longitudinal data in education.
Finally, the project launched a feasibility study on harmonization, assessing the extent to which the mapped datasets are comparable. Preliminary findings show both opportunities (e.g. shared variables on basic skills and background) and challenges (e.g. differences in test design, coding systems, and accessibility).
Together, these achievements significantly advance knowledge of what longitudinal data exist in Europe, how they can be used to study inequalities, and what steps are needed to move towards cross-country comparative research.
A first milestone was the systematic literature review, through which the consortium examined existing research based on longitudinal and repeated cross-sectional designs to study educational inequalities. The review identified 77 datasets, 54 analytical methods, and 70 variables, organized into a conceptual model with four clusters - student, family, teacher, school and education system. This model highlights the multiple and interrelated factors that shape educational inequalities.
On this basis, the consortium carried out a mapping of existing longitudinal datasets across 32 countries (the 27 EU Member States, three European Education Area associated countries – Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – plus Switzerland and the United Kingdom). More than 200 potential datasets were reviewed, of which 104 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the mapping. Each dataset was described in terms of its structure, scope and potential for analysing students’ educational outcomes and trajectories. The mapping revealed that strong data infrastructures are concentrated in Western and Northern Europe, while significant gaps remain in several Central and Eastern countries - underscoring the uneven coverage of longitudinal data in education.
In parallel, the project developed the Education Data Explorer, a user-friendly, open-access platform that visualizes the results of the mapping. The tool enables researchers and educational stakeholders to discover available data sources, explore their features, and assess their analytical potential. By making this information easily accessible, the Explorer represents a key step towards greater transparency and accessibility of longitudinal data in education.
Finally, the project launched a feasibility study on harmonization, assessing the extent to which the mapped datasets are comparable. Preliminary findings show both opportunities (e.g. shared variables on basic skills and background) and challenges (e.g. differences in test design, coding systems, and accessibility).
Together, these achievements significantly advance knowledge of what longitudinal data exist in Europe, how they can be used to study inequalities, and what steps are needed to move towards cross-country comparative research.
LINEup delivers the first systematic overview of national and regional longitudinal datasets in education, including sources that were little known or difficult to access. The Education Data Explorer increases transparency, supports research capacity and policymaking, and promotes international collaboration - creating a solid foundation for future comparative studies.
For these results to achieve their full potential, three priorities emerge:
- Expansion: further investment in longitudinal data collection and research, particularly in underrepresented regions and countries.
- Policy translation: closer collaboration with policymakers to turn findings into effective strategies.
- Sustainability: maintaining and updating the Data Explorer beyond the project’s lifetime to ensure its lasting value.
The project also highlights persistent challenges. including uneven coverage, limited data on schools and teachers, and barriers to access and comparability. Addressing these will require stable investment, sustained collaboration, and transparent governance.
For these results to achieve their full potential, three priorities emerge:
- Expansion: further investment in longitudinal data collection and research, particularly in underrepresented regions and countries.
- Policy translation: closer collaboration with policymakers to turn findings into effective strategies.
- Sustainability: maintaining and updating the Data Explorer beyond the project’s lifetime to ensure its lasting value.
The project also highlights persistent challenges. including uneven coverage, limited data on schools and teachers, and barriers to access and comparability. Addressing these will require stable investment, sustained collaboration, and transparent governance.