Understanding the Importance of Evidence in Education

We know that educators and education systems at large face countless decisions every day. We also know that grounding educational decisions in research can improve the likelihood of desirable teaching and learning outcomes, as well as reduce the likelihood of unintended consequences.

Research is just one among many types of evidence used in educational decision-making, however. So being evidence informed is as much about engaging with research evidence as it is engaging with practice-based evidence (e.g., professional judgment) and data-based evidence (e.g., school performance data).

How Can Educators Become Evidence-Informed?

In our view, the best approach is to learn from examples from experts of how research can be integrated with these other types of evidence, and so regularly inform our own everyday practice. With that in mind, this practical handbook offers 16 illuminating chapters that provide a wealth of advice and perspectives on the subject written by North American educators who are striving to realize the idea of research-informed practice.

Key themes – reflective practitioners, networks and collaboration, trust – emerge to help teachers formalize, prioritize and mobilize the use of research-evidence in schools.