The 10th Panhellenic eTwinning Conference took place on the premises of the Ministry of Education on November 8, 9 and 10 and was organised by The Computer Technology Institute and Press “Diophantus”. A diverse group of teachers, researchers and policymakers gathered to discuss how digital technologies can enable collaborative projects in primary and secondary education. The event was hybrid, having 300 in-person attendees plus 4000 who followed the streaming. The attendees were representatives from the Ministry of Education, the European Commission, educational institutions, non-governmental organisations, and local government bodies.

One of the conference’s keynotes was Dr Panagiotis Kampylis’ (University of Piraeus) presentation of the findings from the systematic literature review conducted as part of the LINEup Horizon project. During the keynote, titled “Tracing educational inequalities in European schools – inspiring collaborative programmes to address them”, Dr Kampylis outlined lessons learned from a systematic literature review on educational inequalities that involved screening over 1300 publications and analysing in-depth 152 studies with longitudinal or repeated cross-sectional research design.

The review identified 77 datasets with longitudinal data from 16 European countries, revealing significant variables that influence student outcomes in basic skills like maths, language, and science. Overall, 70 variables contributing to educational inequalities were identified and systematically categorised into a conceptual model comprising four clusters (student, family, teacher and school/education system) and ten sub-clusters.
The model depicts the complex nature of educational inequalities, characterised by many interrelated and interconnected variables. The review also confirmed a strong relationship between academic achievement, which is often at the centre of educational policies and practices, and students’ school engagement and well-being, which emerge as a critical intervention area closely linked to students’ performance.

Dr Kampylis highlighted the significance of these findings for policy development and the creation of inclusive, equitable educational environments. He particularly emphasised how longitudinal and cross-sectional research designs offer invaluable insights into the persistence of educational inequalities over time and made links with other presentations at the conference that deal with educational disparities. By showcasing evidence-based strategies, he encouraged educators, school administrators, and educational authorities to adopt policies and practices that foster diversity and equal opportunities for all learners.
The keynote, available here (see from 35:10”), was well-received, sparking engaging discussions among participants and encouraging collaborative efforts to address educational inequalities. The dissemination of the LINEup project’s findings provided valuable insights for teachers, researchers and policymakers, inspiring ongoing efforts to promote equity in Greek primary and secondary education.