Generating understanding into how to more routinely foster evidence-informed teaching practice globally, this ground-breaking handbook is vital reading for educational researchers, and especially those working close to practice, in all settings.

"Where does hunch end and evidence begin? Too much is written and said about school improvement - about improvements in teaching and learning - with far too little attention to this question. This book provides vivid discussion from distinguished protagonists and antagonists about what gets called 'evidence-based practice'. Reading it, all involved in education - policymakers and practitioners alike - can proceed more confidently."- Professor Tim Brighouse, London Schools Commissioner The movement to evidence-based practice in education is as important as it is controversial, and this book explores the arguments of leading advocates and critics. The book begins with an explication of evidence-based practice. Some of the ideas of its proponents are discussed, including the Campbell Collaboration, and the application to education of Cochrane-style reviews and meta-analyses. The thinking behind evidence based practice has been the subject of much criticism, particularly in education, and this criticism is aired in the second part of the book. Questions have been raised about what we mean by evidence, about how particular kinds of evidence may be privileged over other kinds of evidence, about the transferability of research findings to practice, and about the consequences of a move to evidence-based practice for governance in education. Given that the origins of the interest in evidence-based practice come largely from its use in medicine, questions arise about the validity of the transposition, and contributors to the third part of the book address this transposition. The issues raised in the book, while primarily those raised by educators, are of relevance also to professionals in medicine, social work and psychology.

Generating understanding into how to more routinely foster evidence-informed teaching practice globally, this ground-breaking handbook is vital reading for educational researchers, and especially those working close to practice, in all settings.

“What a provocative and refreshing stance on evidence-informed education! Evidence-informed education may currently be a divided field, but this must-read book offers hope that a reunion of existing approaches may be possible for a ‘productive tension’ where researchers, school leaders and teachers work together... The disconnect in education between research, policy and practice needs this intellectual reboot!” Professor Tanya Ovenden-Hope, Provost and Professor of Education, Plymouth Marjon University, UK “As a school leader, this book is an invaluable guide to evidence-informed educational research... It is a hopeful vision of a united evidence-informed education field in which practitioners, policymakers and researchers all play an active role as discerning creators and users of evidence.” Sam Mason, Deputy Headteacher, Thornton Primary School, UK “This is a wonderful book that deserves to be widely read and, more importantly, widely acted on. It presents a robust and detailed critique of current orthodoxies in how we have tried to improve educational practice through the use of evidence. Researchers, practitioners, policymakers and funders with an interest in evidence and school improvement should take note.” Professor Robert Coe, Director of Research and Development at Evidence Based Education, UK, and Senior Associate at the Education Endowment Foundation, UK A Critical Guide to Evidence-Informed Education analyses the role of research in education and its potential for improving education policy and practice. The book considers how divisions, both between different research traditions and between theory and practice, are hindering progress. Additional online content gives readers access to extra resources such as reflective questions and technical annexes to deepen understanding. Drawing on their experiences both as teachers and researchers, the authors expertly review fundamental questions about what research is, what it is for and the challenges of generating, communicating and using evidence. The book skilfully synthesises perspectives on evidence-informed education, forming connections across the ‘divided field’ and championing a more collaborative and eclectic approach. For education students, teachers, and school leaders, this book is an accessible and invaluable guide to the methods, problems, and key findings from several interconnected areas of education research. For researchers, this book offers an extended critical commentary and methodological critique of several related research communities and their current and potential contribution to educational improvement. The authors invite and equip readers to take their own stance on current and perennial debates about the role of research and evidence in improving education. Thomas Perry is an Associate Professor at the University of Warwick. He is a former schoolteacher who now teaches about education research methods and advises and supervises researchers at all levels, including leading the Education Doctorate (EdD) programme at Warwick. His research and teaching are focused on research methodology and the role of research and evidence in improving education policy and practice. Rebecca Morris is an Associate Professor at the University of Warwick. She is a former secondary English teacher and has previously worked at Durham University and University of Birmingham. Rebecca’s research interests include education policy, teacher education and the teacher workforce, English and literacy, and widening participation. She is an editorial board member for the British Educational Research Journal and Educational Review.

This book focuses on the question of how to understand quality use of research evidence in education, or what it means to use research evidence well. Internationally there are widespread efforts to increase the use of research evidence within educational policy and practice. Such efforts raise important questions about how we understand not just the quality of evidence, but also the quality of its use. To date, there has been wide-ranging debate about the former, but very little dialogue about the latter. Based on a five-year study with schools and school systems in Australia, this book sheds new light on: why clarity about quality of use is critical to educational improvement; how quality use of research evidence can be framed in education; what using research well involves and looks like in practice; what quality research use means for individuals, organisations and systems; and what aspects of using research well still need to be better understood. This book will be an invaluable resource for professionals within and beyond education who want to better understand what using research evidence well means and involves and how it can be supported.

Across the OECD, enormous effort and investment has been made to reinforce the quality, production and use of education research in policy and practice. Despite this, using research in education remains a challenge for many countries and systems.