Education Endowment Foundation:Does the classroom level matter in the design of educational trials? A theoretical & empirical review

Does the classroom level matter in the design of educational trials? A theoretical & empirical review

Examines whether the classroom level matters in the design of educational trials

Author: Sean Demack

EEF Research Paper Series, No. 003, May 2019

EEF response: This study examines some of the theoretical and empirical implications which account for how pupils are naturally organised in classes’, which are in turn clustered within schools. The EEF recognises the contribution made by this study and invites evaluators to consider accounting for the class’ clustering in their proposed designs. This paper provides suggestions of cases when this may be more relevant. Due to a limited number of studies included in this review, additional evidence is necessary.