EfA

EFA is an acronym that can refer to several distinct concepts in different fields. In statistics, EFA stands for Exploratory Factor Analysis, a set of techniques used to identify underlying latent variables that explain patterns of correlations among observed measures. It is used to reduce data dimensionality and to explore the factor structure of a set of variables. Common approaches include factor extraction methods such as principal components or maximum likelihood, and rotation schemes to aid interpretability. EFA is typically contrasted with Confirmatory Factor Analysis, which tests a hypothesized structure rather than explore one.

In politics, EFA denotes the European Free Alliance, a European-level political party and federation of regionalist, federalist, and minority-rights parties. Member parties operate across many EU states and often cooperate with the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament. The alliance supports greater regional autonomy or independence for constituent regions and promotes cultural and linguistic diversity within the European project.

In education, EFA stands for Education for All, a global development movement led by UNESCO to ensure universal access to quality basic education. Initiatives aim to reduce illiteracy, promote universal primary education, achieve gender parity in education, and improve learning outcomes. The EFA agenda influenced international policy and was integrated into later sustainable development goals, particularly SDG 4 on education.