Towards a framework for researching the quality of education in low-income countries

This article introduces the themes and the various contributions to the special issue. It describes the evolution of the overall approach and framework for researching education quality used by the Implementing Education Quality in Low-Income Countries (Ed Qual) Research Programme Consortium (RPC). The article commences with the background to the RPC including some theoretical starting points. It provides a critique of dominant approaches to researching education quality, namely the human capital and rights based approaches. This provides a basis for setting out the approach and framework adopted by Ed Qual which is founded on social justice principles. The framework is outlined in relation to three intersecting contexts, namely the policy context, the home/ community context of the learner and the context of the school.