Institute of Education

Research & Expertise to Make a Difference in Education & Beyond

Established in 2012, the Institute of Education (IOE) is one of the key R&D units at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the leader of the QS Rankins in Education Russia.

At IOE, we research, train, and network to craft a better world through better education. Our supreme commitment is to contribute to robust, evidence-centric policy and practice so everyone benefits from positive change in education and development.

We boast world-class expertise brought by 250+ research and teaching faculty, including academics of international renown, who have diverse backgrounds and are into various scholarly strands.

Our R&D portfolio comprises a vast range of projects—including high-caliber partnerships with QS top-rank institutions and global policy powerhouses—that cut across educational realms.

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News

In a world marked by instability—from global pandemics to shifting political landscapes—young people are increasingly called upon to act, not just react. But what gives teenagers the power to step forward, make their voices heard, and shape their own futures? A new study by Mikhail Goshin, Dmitry Grigoryev, and Pavel Sorokin takes a fresh look at this question through a psychological lens, offering a nuanced picture of adolescent agency and how it links to conformity, rebellious behavior, and a hunger for intellectual challenge.
April 18
Imagine if your classes felt more like a game than a grind. Badges for breakthroughs, points for participation, and friendly leaderboards that spark just enough rivalry to keep you coming back. It’s not a futuristic fantasy—it’s happening now. Gamification in education isn’t just about fun; it's becoming a strategic tool to build the very skills employers are hungry for. A recent study published in Educational Studies Moscow dives into data to show how playing games in class might just be the smartest way to land that dream job.
April 10
The International Education Observatory initiative, launched by HSE University to focus on expert evaluation, analytics, and joint scientific research, has successfully completed the formation of a research network across all BRICS nations. South Africa was the final link, with the University of Pretoria and the University of the Witwatersrand joining experts from Russia, China, India, and Brazil. 
March 04

Publications

  • Book

    Structural and Technological Transformation of Education in the Post-Pandemic Period. Problems and Prospects

    Springer, 2025.

  • Article

    Mikhaylova O., Dokuka S.

    Measuring Personal Networks with Core Discussion Network Methodology: A Case of Russian Students

    This paper explores the use of the Core Discussion Network (CDN) methodology for analyzing personal networks. We discuss the method’s origins and the specifics of its implementation, followed by a brief overview of findings from international studies. Using data collected in 2021 from 270 first-year undergraduate and graduate students at a top-tier Russian university, we present results from an empirical study. The analysis focused on network parameters such as the size and density of ego-alter ties, alongside the socio-demographic characteristics of alters (gender, age, and relationship to ego). Results indicate that the structure of CDNs among Russian students in 2021 closely mirrors that of Ukrainian respondents from prior studies in terms of connection counts, proportions of relatives versus non-relatives, and the percentage of respondents reporting no discussion partners. However, variation coefficients for gender and age were distinct compared to earlier research, though direct comparisons were constrained by inconsistent reporting of standard deviations in existing literature. Our findings highlight the need for standardized metrics in personal network analysis to improve cross-study comparability.

    Quality and Quantity. 2025.

  • Book chapter

    Dvoretskaya I., Uvarov A.

    Innovative ICT-Supported Teaching and the School’s Digital Renewal Stages

    Evolving digital technologies are infiltrating schools nowadays. This process is taking place by stages that are viewed as the schools’ digital renewal process (SDRP), the complex and multidimensional one. It includes changes in the educational environment (physical and virtual), the educational process, and the way how school operates. The use of innovative ICT-supported teaching (IITST) can be considered as one of the key indicators of a school’ digital renewal process for measurement of its progress. The aim of the study is to evaluate the status of innovative IITST within the framework of SDRP. During the monitoring of the digital transformation of Russian general education in 2021 data on IITST ware collected. More than 500 schools from all regions of Russia participated in the study. The data collected show that schools in different regions of the country are unevenly progressing along the path of digital renewal. The report presents results obtained during the monitoring and discusses the reasons for the uneven movement of schools along the path of digital renewal in Russia.

    In bk.: Structural and Technological Transformation of Education in the Post-Pandemic Period. Problems and Prospects. Springer, 2025. Ch. 1. P. 3-9.

  • Working paper

    Antipkina I., Ivanov A., Guzhelya D.

    Explicit continuum scale format reduces the ceiling effect in self-report questionnaires comparing to Likert response format

    This study presents a methodology for developing a new questionnaire format called explicit continuum scenario scales, in the example of a client focus questionnaire. Elements of the Rasch Guttman scenario scale methodology were used in its development. In three consequent studies, different aspects of the scale functioning were investigated. In Study 1, on the sample of 100 respondents, it was shown that the explicit continuum scale produces reliable results and helps avoid the ceiling effect shown in the Likert response format version of the client focus questionnaire. In Study 2, the scale was administered in a competition environment, in a sample of 735 people. Despite the positive shift of scores, the instrument shows excellent psychometric characteristics and still resists the ceiling effect. In Study 3, new items were included, and the scale was presented in an interactive format. In the sample of 65,000 university students, it demonstrated the robustness of its psychometrics characteristics including dimensionality. The results of the three studies show that the explicit continuum format has the advantage of the stable dimensionality similar to the expanded format and is promising for measurement in social sciences.

    Basic research program. WP BRP. National Research University Higher School of Economics, 2024

All publications

Contacts

Email us: [email protected]
  • Underground Stations: Lubyanka, Turgenevskaya, Chistye Prudy, Sretenskiy Bulvar.

Office of IOE Director Evgeniy Terentev:

+7 (495) 623-52-49.

Graduate School of Education:

Tel: +7 (985) 386 6349, 8 (499) 877 5471

Media & Communications Office:

Albert Istomin
tel: + 7 (495) 772 9590, ext. 22839