All research has a cost and most studies can only be carried out with the support of grants from funding councils, government bodies, private companies or non-profit organisations.
This doesn’t mean that the results of those studies cannot be trusted. However, it is crucial to consider the independence of research - and the interests of the sponsors - when interpreting results.
Where can I see examples of sponsorship in education research?
There are many examples of sponsored research studies.
For example, The Wellcome Trust has sponsored a number of pieces of research on the importance of professional development - including research into the cost effectiveness of professional development. The sponsorship is clearly labelled and the methods are clear and transparent.
Another major piece of research in schools that was recently funded by The Wellcome Trust was the Myriad project, which analysed the effectiveness of schools-based mindfulness training.
The study was conducted by researchers from the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Exeter, King’s College London, University College London and Pennsylvania State in the US. It involved more than 28,000 children, aged 11 to 14, and 650 teachers, from 100 schools.
The findings, which were published in July 2022, showed that, despite its popularity in schools, mindfulness training has no more impact on secondary students’ wellbeing than teachers’ other efforts to support mental health.
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement.
To achieve this, it summarises the best available evidence for teachers; its Teaching and Learning Toolkit, for example, is used by 70 per cent of secondary schools.
The charity also generates new evidence of “what works” to improve teaching and learning, by funding independent evaluations of high-potential projects, and supports teachers and senior leaders to use the evidence to achieve the maximum possible benefit for young people.
