Person:
Ustinova, Maria
Author Name Variants
Fields of Specialization
Education facilities design,
School design,
Learning environments,
Early childhood development
Degrees
ORCID
Externally Hosted Work
Contact Information
Last updated
January 31, 2023
Biography
Maria Ustinova works as a Consultant at the World Bank office in Moscow, where she supports various technical assistance and lending projects in the field of education and social protection.
She also serves as an Associated Researcher at the Urban Health Games Research Group, which is a part of Architecture Department at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. She contributes to the research projects, which investigate how urban planning and design influence human health and wellbeing, particularly focusing on school learning environments.
Maria holds double master’s degree in international cooperation and urban development from Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany and University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy. Prior to joining the Bank, she worked as consultant for United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, as well as for various projects of DG Education and Culture of European Commission and Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency of the European Union.
Publication Search Results
1 - 5 of 5
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Publication
Learning Environments and Learning Achievement in the Russian Federation: How School Infrastructure and Climate Affect Student Success
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2020)This book presents the main findings of a study on school learning environments and student outcomes, which the World Bank conducted in 2019 in three regions of the Russian Federation. Using data collected through the OECD School User Survey and the pilot “Trends in Mathematics and Science Study” (TIMSS), the book analyzes how a school’s infrastructure and learning environment may affect the progress and success of students in math and science. It also delves into teaching practices, analyzing their impact on learning and highlighting the important nexus between learning environments and teaching methods. The book concludes by recommending areas in which focused attention by educational authorities could improve educational policy and help maintain high-quality learning environments. The book will be useful for educators, school principals, architects, and policy makers who are involved in school infrastructure projects and are interested in increasing their knowledge of school design planning. -
Publication
The Impact of School Infrastructure on Learning: A Synthesis of the Evidence
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2019)This book focuses on how school facilities can affect children’s learning outcomes, identifying parameters that can inform the design, implementation, and supervision of future educational infrastructure projects. It reflects on aspects for which the evidence could be strengthened, and identifies areas for further exploratory work. -
Publication
New Skills for New Century: Informing Regional Policy
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06-25)As part of the World Bank’s analytical support program in Russia, the team has been working with their Russian counterparts on collecting and analyzing data in order to gather evidence to inform coherent policies and strategies for creating modern schools and for promoting 21st-century teaching and learning in Russia. Both goals are being pursued through a series of national projects aimed at: (i) modernizing teaching and learning; (ii) putting Russia in the top 10 countries in terms of scores on international assessments; and (iii) expanding school infrastructure to ensure full-day schooling throughout the country. This new report presents a rigorous analysis of the data collected as part of the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2019 complemented by data on Russia from the OECD’s School User Survey (SUS), which was also fielded in 2019. The team added the SUS to the study as part of its collaboration with its Russian counterparts. The total sample represents all general education systems in the Russian Federation. This report also includes data from Information and Communication (IC) Literacy Test7 conducted in 2020 combined with the SUS. The two datasets are not related but both cover 21st-century skills and Russian students. This report analyzes the various 21st-century skills that it was possible to analyze using data from the TIMSS and IC Literacy Test. The analysis provides descriptive statistics related to the learning environments and teaching practices in Russia and draws some correlations between learning environment variables and learning outcomes. Furthermore, the study shows how different teaching styles affect student learning in the mathematics, science, and cognitive (reasoning and applying) domains of TIMSS. The team also analyzed the wellbeing construct included in TIMSS 2019. They found that the cognitive domains of reasoning and applying were well aligned with the 21st-century skills that can be measured directly by TIMSS. This study also attempts to use self-reported data from TIMSS student and teacher questionnaires and construct measures to stimulate teaching and learning activities related to 21st-century skills development. The study also assesses the impact of such measures on student performance across subject and cognitive domains. In exploring IC literacy and ICT technology in schools, the report analyzes key characteristics of the school environment, the use of ICT in schools, the use of technology by teachers with different mindsets towards modern education, and students' performance on the IC Literacy Test with an analysis of the context of the questions. -
Publication
Barriers and Opportunities to Employment for Persons with Disabilities in the Russian Federation
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-11-30)The goal of this assessment is to identify barriers and opportunities to the supply of and demand for labor among persons with disabilities in Russia, as well as opportunities to increase their participation in the labor market. The research includes an overview of legis-lation, social policies, and national programs; an analysis of qualitative data, including the results of expert interviews and focus group discussions; and an analysis of quantitative data, including administrative information from the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (MoLSP) and the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation (PFR) and a household survey conducted by the Russian State Statistical Service (Rosstat). A concerted effort was made to include and amplify the voices of persons with disabilities and the organizations that represent their interests. An assessment was undertaken of social protection and policy measures to facilitate the demand for and stimulate the supply of labor among persons with disabilities. -
Publication
Innovative Learning Environments: The Role of Energy-Efficient Investments in Russian Preschool Education Facilities (A Case Study of the Khanty-Mansyisk Region)
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-08)This paper discusses an example of an early childhood development facility intervention in the Khanty-Mansyisk region of the Russian Federation and its potential to produce efficiency gains in the region and the country overall. The government of the region is introducing changes to the built environment of its early childhood development centers. The proposed new design is based on the concept of the learning environment as a third teacher. The smaller footprint of the new buildings will increase the amount of active space per child, and the new design will include energy efficiency measures. The economic impact of these measures will reduce operating costs throughout the lifecycle of the building and provide strong evidence to education policy makers in the rest of the region and the country as a whole in favor of child-centered, healthy, and energy efficient early childhood development infrastructure.