Getting Evidence into Education Evaluating the Routes to Policy and Practice

Worldwide, there has been considerable progress in the quality of research evidence generated for use in education, but not the equivalent growth in knowledge of how best to get this evidence into actual use. Yet with far-reaching implications, all of education is damaged when persuasive but poor-quality evidence has widespread influence, or good research lies unused. Focused on the work of the Durham University Evidence Centre for Education, Getting Evidence into Education addresses this problem, examining what can be done to improve the take-up of suitable research evidence and inform the public service of education. Containing a variety of case studies, from evidence-based policies for early childhood education in Brazil, to the use of evidence on contextualized admissions to Scottish universities, the volume explores a variety of different ways to approach the problem, addressing the questions: What is the existing evidence on different approaches to getting research evidence into use? What are the factors which influence the uptake of high-quality research evidence by policy or practice? Which are the most effective pathways for evidence-into-use in particular contexts? Considering both the practical and ethical implications, the book builds towards key recommendations for the research community, practitioner bodies and policy-makers and advisors, directing them on how to communicate better with each other for the benefit of everyone.

Preface List of contents List of Contributors Introduction to the need for better evidence Chapter 1. Why we need better use of good evidence in education - Stephen Gorard Chapter 2. The importance of providing evidence in education from rigorous evaluations - Carole Torgerson and David Torgerson Chapter 3. The global evidence architecture in health and education: a comparative scorecard – Howard White Chapter 4. What we know already about the best ways to get evidence into use in education – Stephen Gorard, Beng Huat See and Nadia Siddiqui Experiences of different routes to evidence use Chapter 5. Hearts and minds. The Research Schools Network: from evidence to engagement - Megan Dixon, Juliet Brookes and James Siddle Chapter 6. The development and worldwide impact of the Teaching and Learning Toolkit – Steve Higgins Chapter 7. Why is it difficult to get evidence into use? – Beng Huat See Chapter 8. Generating research evidence in teaching practice: Can teachers lead randomised control trials in education? – Nadia Siddiqui Engagement with impact in different phases of education Chapter 9. First two years at school: evidence-based policy for early childhood education in Brazil - Tiago Bartholo and Mariane Koslinski Chapter 10. Research into practice: the case of classroom formative assessment – Dylan William Chapter 11. Engagement and impact in addressing and overcoming educational disadvantage - Stephen Gorard, Lindsey Wardle, Nadia Siddiqui and Beng Huat See Chapter 12. The use of evidence from research on contextualised admissions to widen access to Scottish universities - Vikki Boliver and Stephen Gorard The role of leadership in evidence uptake Chapter 13. Is distributed leadership an effective approach for mobilising research-informed innovation across professional learning networks? Exploring a case from England - Chris Brown, Jane Flood, Stephen MacGregor, Paul Armstrong Chapter 14. The opportunities and challenges of leaders using evidence in education - Rebecca Morris, Thomas Perry and Simon Asquith Suggestions for next steps in evidence use Chapter 15. Towards a better understanding of quality of evidence use - Mark Rickinson, Jonathan Sharples and Ollie Lovell Chapter 16. Where next for improving the use of good evidence – Stephen Gorard

Stephen Gorard is Professor of Education and Public Policy at Durham University, UK and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.