Education Research in Poland

Education market research is the systematic collection and analysis of data across K-12 schooling, higher education, professional development, and educational technology (EdTech). It combines large-scale quantitative surveys of students, pupils, and teachers with in-depth qualitative interviews involving education leaders and decision-makers. The ultimate goal is to reveal the needs, expectations, and behaviors of key stakeholders in the education ecosystem — enabling institutions and companies to design offerings that truly resonate.

Poland’s education sector is navigating a profound transformation driven by digitization, demographic change, and intensifying competition. University enrollment has dropped from 1.95 million in 2005 to roughly 1.2 million, compelling institutions to actively compete for students. Meanwhile, the global EdTech market is expanding at over 16% annually, and e-learning platforms have become standard tools at every educational level. In this environment, data-driven strategy — not intuition — is becoming the differentiator for forward-thinking institutions.

Common research projects in education include: student satisfaction surveys, curriculum effectiveness evaluations, graduate employability analyses, university brand image studies benchmarked against competitors, concept testing for new degree programs, and training needs assessments for teachers. For EdTech companies, critical areas include platform usability (UX) testing, willingness-to-pay research, and B2B decision-path analysis among institutional buyers.

Methodologically, education research demands sensitivity to sector-specific challenges. Respondents often include minors (requiring parental consent), academics with severely limited availability, and institutional decision-makers subject to public procurement procedures. The most effective methods are CAWI (online surveys among students), CATI (phone surveys with parents and teachers), IDI (in-depth interviews with university rectors and school principals), and desk research (analysis of statistical office data, ministry reports, and institutional rankings).

A practical limitation of education research is seasonality — recruiting respondents during summer breaks is challenging, and the academic decision cycle often requires results before the start of the academic year. Additionally, the public nature of many institutions means research findings may need to meet transparency and methodological audit requirements, raising execution standards.