Teachers and school leaders up and down the country have become trailblazers for evidence-informed practice.
Last month, I attended a global conference on research evidence where international colleagues marvelled at how commonplace it is for English school leaders to use research evidence in their decision making.
The efforts by many in our education system to professionalise their practice through engaging with evidence is confirmed in a new Education Endowment Foundation report, which finds that an overwhelming majority of teachers report consulting evidence before making changes to practice.
But the report also highlights some of the challenges in applying research evidence in schools. Without concerted efforts to make the process much smoother, we risk losing out on some of the gains that an evidence-informed system promises.
So, how can we make evidence use in education as natural as possible?
1. Value peer networks and social interaction
Educators are inherently collaborative, and they learn best through trusted relationships.
Our report found that teachers’ preferred ways to engage with education research were through interaction with peers, including on social media and by attending conferences.
But we must also acknowledge that evidence doesn’t always flow neatly through these informal channels. So professional development providers and researchers can help by creating opportunities for shared learning, such as workshops or professional learning communities.
Evidence shared in isolation may fail to stick, but when embedded through interaction, it may have more of a chance to thrive.
2. Passive dissemination is not enough
Simply publishing reports or releasing toolkits isn’t enough. Research evidence needs to reach teachers in ways that feel relevant and actionable.
We need to bring evidence into teachers’ lived realities.
Professional development programmes, coaching and mentoring approaches, and practical, well-designed resources that respond to classroom challenges need to be tried and tested if we’re to make a sustained impact on practice and the learning of pupils.
3. Consult teachers in research design
Too often, research feels detached from the day-to-day realities of schools.
If we’re serious about helping teachers engage with evidence, we need to involve them early in the design of research - starting with the research questions themselves.
Integrating teacher and school leader expertise in the design process ensures researchers answer relevant questions, in such a way that provides actionable evidence.
4. Create time and space for evidence use
Engaging meaningfully with evidence requires both time and headspace, two rare commodities in schools.
It’s not enough to expect individual teachers or leaders to engage with evidence - we must also equip them with the capacity to do so. This means providing the tools, training and time they need to succeed.
Here, change is needed at all levels of the system. Schools need to prioritise time for professional learning and evidence engagement, whether through protected planning and preparation time or dedicated sessions during professional development days.
More broadly, policymakers and other system influencers need to consider how other influencers on the school system incentivise the provision of professional learning and ensure teachers and leaders are given the skills for engagement with evidence.
Without changes, the onus is too heavily placed on individual teachers whose efforts to work in an evidence-informed way happen through self-sacrifice and in silos.
Continuing the conversation
This work requires continuous improvement of the processes that connect policy, research and practice, and relies on building a stronger feedback loop: we must listen to teachers and school leaders, respond to their needs, and facilitate stronger connections across the system.
Teachers and leaders aren’t just the end users of evidence. They’re co-constructors of the knowledge that drives our schools forward.
By listening to their voices, we can make sure that evidence truly serves its purpose - empowering educators to help our children and young people thrive.
Harry Madgwick is senior content and engagement manager at the Education Endowment Foundation
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