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In this chapter, we explore prominent issues related to identifying and implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) in education. We first describe the general context for evidence-based reforms in education. To clarify the meaning of EBPs, we then briefly define terms frequently used in education for recommended practice. We discuss three broad issues with which educators must wrestle if evidence-based education is to fulfill its significant potential: the conceptual and philosophical foundations of evidence- based education, technical issues related to determining EBPs in education, and pragmatic issues surrounding the implementation of EBPs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT: This paper explores the reasons why the notion of ‘evidence-based’ practice has gained prominence in educational research. The ascendancy of ‘evidence-based’ practice is attributed to a crisis of legitimation in educational research. The paper offers a critical exegesis of a systematic review conducted under the auspices of the Effec- tive Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) subgroup of the Cochrane Collaboration.
A commonly proposed, but naïve approach to solving the debates over curriculum and pedagogy would be to merely go with what the research says " works, " but educational debates are not so easily solved. Educational decisions are at the heart value judgements, and to claim that research can tell us what to do represents an ethical and moral " cop-out " to these crucial decisions. The term " evidence, " as well, tends to mean randomized, controlled, experimental studies; there are myriad other forms of evidence that we encounter in schools that gets pushed to the side. Ultimately, this white paper concludes, research can only tell us what did work; the only way to know " what works " is to look at what is working for a given teacher in the context of their own classroom.
PsycEXTRA Dataset
This Guide seeks to provide educational practitioners with user-friendly tools to distinguish practices supported by rigorous evidence from those that are not. The field of K-12 education contains a vast array of educational interventions -such as reading and math curricula, schoolwide reform programs, after-school programs, and new educational technologies -that claim to be able to improve educational outcomes and, in many cases, to be supported by evidence. This evidence often consists of poorly-designed and/or advocacy-driven studies. State and local education officials and educators must sort through a myriad of such claims to decide which interventions merit consideration for their schools and classrooms. Many of these practitioners have seen interventions, introduced with great fanfare as being able to produce dramatic gains, come and go over the years, yielding little in the way of positive and lasting change -a perception confirmed by the flat achievement results over the past 30 years in the National Assessment of Educational Progress long-term trend. The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and many federal K-12 grant programs, call on educational practitioners to use "scientifically-based research" to guide their decisions about which interventions to implement. As discussed below, we believe this approach can produce major advances in the effectiveness of American education. Yet many practitioners have not been given the tools to distinguish interventions supported by scientifically-rigorous evidence from those which are not. This Guide is intended to serve as a user-friendly resource that the education practitioner can use to identify and implement evidence-based interventions, so as to improve educational and life outcomes for the children they serve. If practitioners have the tools to identify evidence-based interventions, they may be able to spark major improvements in their schools and, collectively, in American education. Step 1. Is the intervention supported by "strong" evidence of effectiveness? Key items to look for in the study's description of the intervention and the random assignment process Key items to look for in the study's collection of outcome data Key items to look for in the study's reporting of results
International Education Research, 2014
Successful implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in schools requires an understanding of the factors influencing implementation and adoption. We conducted eight focus groups with school administrators and teachers to explore their views about EBP and the factors influencing EBP use within the school context. Educators believed EBP to mean one of three things: information that is supported by research evidence, by evidence of student performance, or evidence-by-proxy. We identified several factors influencing educator use of EBPs and intention to change practice: a school culture of openness and buy-in for EBP, relevance of EBP to student needs universally, and organizational support for implementation, were catalysts for motivating educators to change their practice. Understanding the practice change preferences of educators is important for effective EBP implementation in schools. Educators have a unique perspective of what constitutes EBP, and they can identify what they need in order to change practice.
New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2011
Teaching is just too damned diffi cult to get right. It is always possible to improve.-Petty, 2006, p. ix Petty's words send a clarion message to college and university teachers around the world. However, we believe that rather than being a mere possibility to improve as teachers, it is always necessary to improve. One way of improving our teaching is to adopt teaching methods that are based on or supported by evidence of success in enhancing student learning. Current Status of Higher Education: Critics and Supporters Most teachers base their instructional practices on tradition, the opinion of experienced practitioners, ideology, faddism, marketing, politics, or personal experience gained through trial and error (Beder and Medina, 2001; Slavin, 2008). This volume presents several of what we call evidence-based systems of teaching. We encourage readers to look at the evidence supporting each system and consider if one or more of these instructional approaches would help them achieve their teaching and student learning objectives. We hope that this volume will help develop a new tradition of teaching-one based on evidence and research-supported practice. Some faculty may see evidence-based teaching (EBT) as the latest fad in education, but we believe that it is more than a new trendy fashion. It refers to an approach that holds that practice should be capable of being 5 This chapter reviews the current status of university teaching and provides an overview for the need for evidence-based teaching. It describes problems with defi ning evidence as well as distinctions among systems of teaching and specifi c teaching actions.
Mind, Brain, and Education, 2013
There is an increasing emphasis on evidencebased education, and the sciences of learning are progressing rapidly. But are reports, guidelines, and outreach enough to disseminate this knowledge and affect educational practice? In fact, policy makers and the public often resist evidence-based recommendations about education. This article suggests that some of the problems lie in well-known difficulties in everyday reasoning and decision making, especially in situations that involve probability and uncertainty. We should communicate and educate so as to address these difficulties. Research evidence about how best to educate children is accumulating rapidly, with reports and guides and recommendations produced regularly by professional organizations and by government. For example, no fewer than 14 reports from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) appeared between 2000 and 2008 on mathematics and science education (Newcombe et al., 2009), with additional reports produced by the NAS on other educational topics such as language and literacy, and more reports appearing since 2008. As another example, beginning in 2006, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has produced 16 Practice Guides (to date), which systematically make evidence-based recommendations regarding educational interventions; the most recent appeared in June 2012 and focused on teaching elementary school children to be effective writers. The Practice Guides assign grades to their recommendations, indicating how confident we can be in the conclusions based on existing research. IES has also funded the What Works Clearinghouse, with the straightforward mission, embodied in its title, of compiling the evidence about what works in education. As a final example, consider that the
Due to the increasing number of empiri-cal studies of teaching a demand has arisen for pedagogical action to be based on the findings of such studies. To what extent is this demand reasona-ble? How do the findings of empirical studies relate to complex conditions of pedagogical action? The following of-fers a critical view of the opportunities and limitations standardized tests pro-vide to pedagogical practice.
2018
There are legitimate barriers to implementing effectively in schools – the bombardment of new ideas and initiatives, limited time and resources, and the pressure to yield quick results, to name just a few. Nevertheless, this guidance report shows a lot can be achieved with careful thought, planning, and delivery using existing resources and structures. It is about making the implicit explicit, providing clarity and purpose to existing processes, and reframing what you are already doing, rather than bolting on a whole new set of procedures. The guide can be used to help implement any school improvement decision, whether programme or practice, whole-school or targeted approach, or internal or externally generated ideas. Over the last few years, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has developed an approach to evidenceinformed school improvement, which treats the school as a continuously improving system. The model aims to frame research evidence in a school’s context, rather than ...
What allows research evidence to contribute to successful social policy and improve practice in public services? The establishment of the What Works Network, a group of evidence ‘clearing houses’, that summarise academic research evidence for practitioners in different policy areas, heralds a resurgence of evidence-based approaches in British policymaking. This report outlines the existing literature analysing the process of implementing evidence-informed policy, with a particular focus on the field of primary and secondary education. New data, based on interviews with teachers in primary and secondary schools, along with the analysis of existing literature, suggest that understanding the rationale for a particular policy approach and recognising relevant contextual factors are crucial for selecting and implementing successful policies. This suggests that local knowledge, as well as professional judgement and expertise, are critical contributors to policymaking alongside formal scientific research evidence.
Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 2016
This article has three aims: first, it examines the notion of evidence-informed practice and its benefits, as well as recent educational policy designed to promote schools’ use of evidence. Second, it examines four distinct but overlapping and interdependent factors that school leaders need to consider if they wish to establish evidence-informed practice within their school. These factors are: 1) the existence of teacher capacity to engage in and with research and data; 2) school cultures that are attuned to evidence use; 3) schools promoting the use of research as part of an effective learning environment; and 4) the existence of effective structures, system and resource that facilitate research-use and the sharing of best practice. Third we describe how the article’s authors undertook a survey of 696 practitioners in relation to these factors. Also how, with the resultant data we built a Gradient Boosted Tree predictive model to examine the potential policy levers available to sch...
Educational Research, 2017
The term 'evidence-informed practice' (EIP) attracts much attention, with many arguing that evidence-informed schools and colleges are an essential feature of effective education systems (see, for example, Mincu 2014; and Greany 2015). This focus on EIP is not new (see Weiss 1979; and Hargreaves 1996). A variety of programmes has been developed, over the decades, to improve the quality of evidence, its comprehensibility, and its impact on teaching and learning (
Forum Oświatowe, 2015
This paper discusses the possibilities and limitations in the dissemination of evidence-based practice in education (EBE) in Poland, focusing on a number of issues relevant to the implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) in education. The first refers to the essence of this concept and its relationship to other instruments used in professional practice: evaluation and action research. The second is the problem of data identification, which may be given the status of “evidence.” The article concludes with a discussion of opportunities for teacher professional development created by EBP. keywords: evidence-based practice, EBP, evidence-based education, EBE, evaluation, professionalism.
Problemy Wczesnej Edukacji
This article presents the results of the implementation of the Erasmus Plus project (KA203 financed by the European Union, contract number 2019-1-NL01-KA203-060339) Research in Teacher Education (RiTE). The aim of the project was to promote and facilitate pre-service teachers to create and undertake evidence-based practices in teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In the RiTE project, pre-service teachers were encouraged to use evidence from educational and scientific research and to experiment and introduce didactic innovations in teaching and learning processes. Although it has its justification in the tradition of thinking about science, evidence-based practice is not yet consciously applied in school practice. In the article, we present both the theoretical framework for such practices, and the results of qualitative research – an analysis of interviews conducted with students, future teachers, and novice teachers involved in the project. The present...
International Journal of Educational Researchers, 2024
This literature review critically examines the concept of 'evidence-based practice' (EBP) in education, particularly its implementation in England. EBP, which advocates using scientific research to inform teaching, enjoys widespread support from policymakers and educators. However, concerns exist regarding its emphasis on quantitative evidence, particularly findings from laboratory experiments and randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Critics argue that this approach can reduce teacher autonomy and struggles to adapt to diverse educational contexts. By analysing a broad range of literature, this review explores the current 'what works' approach within EBP and highlights its challenges, such as neglecting qualitative data and the complexities of real-world classrooms. The review concludes by advocating for a more balanced approach that integrates both quantitative and qualitative research methods, while fostering collaboration between researchers and practitioners.
2016
Teaching is just too damned diffi cult to get right. It is always possible to improve. —Petty, 2006, p. ix Petty’s words send a clarion message to college and university teachers around the world. However, we believe that rather than being a mere pos-sibility to improve as teachers, it is always necessary to improve. One way of improving our teaching is to adopt teaching methods that are based on or supported by evidence of success in enhancing student learning. Current Status of Higher Education: Critics and Supporters Most teachers base their instructional practices on tradition, the opinion of experienced practitioners, ideology, faddism, marketing, politics, or per-sonal experience gained through trial and error (Beder and Medina, 2001; Slavin, 2008). This volume presents several of what we call evidence-based systems of teaching. We encourage readers to look at the evidence support-ing each system and consider if one or more of these instructional approaches would help them ach...
A guide to using research evidence when deliberating about educational policies. It is intended for teachers, for school heads, for boards of governors –for anyone who has to settle on policies, programmes or approaches, whether for a singe student, a whole class, a school or a local area. It supposes that research evidence can help make for better decisions about what will work but it recognises that there’s no recipe for how to use research evidence.
abstract: This paper discusses the possibilities and limitations in the dissemination of evidence-based practice in education (EBE) in Poland, focusing on a number of issues relevant to the implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) in education. The first refers to the essence of this concept and its relationship to other instruments used in professional practice: evaluation and action research. The second is the problem of data identification, which may be given the status of " evidence. " The article concludes with a discussion of opportunities for teacher professional development created by EBP.
Research papers in education, 2003
This issue on evidence-based practice in education locates the rise of contemporary interest in evidence-based practice in the political culture of our times and the dominant discourse, noted and critiqued in several of the papers, of the government's agenda of 'what works'. It outlines the motivations and origins of the current movement and the different forms of evidence advanced to serve policy and practice. The paper briefly explores the oft-quoted parallel with evidence-based medicine and professional decision-making and with the field of evaluation, the context for the papers in this issue, where the tradition of using evidence to inform decision-making has not always led to informed policy decisions or improved practice. It also briefly examines the changes in terminology (e.g. 'evidence-informed' and 'practice-based evidence') which have evolved to reflect a broader range of evidence and the complexity of practice. Each of the papers is briefly outlined and common themes identified. The paper concludes by arguing that we may need to be more modest in our claims for evidence-based practice. The relationship between evidence and policymaking or practice is complex, affected by relationships, ideologies and professional preferences as much as by evidence. It is by no means a panacea for all contexts and practices.
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