Beyond Evidence-Based Practice: Rethinking the
                    Relationship between Research, Theory and Practice

Harper, David J.; Gannon, Kenneth N.; Robinson, Mary

doi:10.4135/9781446279151.n11

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Wiesner and Schreiner (2019) conceptualize the term "evidence" as a continuum that spans from evidence in the wider sense (e.g., school-internal data) to evidence in the stricter, that is, more scientific sense. The latter is derived as part of an engagement in research and serves as the foundation of theory development (Kiemer and Kollar, 2021;Renkl, 2022), but is usually viewed as rather abstract, impractical information by teachers (Harper et al, 2003;Hammersley, 2004;Zeuch et al, 2017). Less conclusive is the characterization of so-called referential data, e.g., from centrally purported school inspections or pupil performance assessments, as it can be characterized both as a) data and as b) evidence according to the above introduced problem-solving cycle (Groß Ophoff and Cramer, 2022).…”

Section: Conceptual Models Of Data-based Decision-making and Evidence...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Do pupils at research-informed schools actually perform better? Findings from a study at English schools

2023

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IntroductionAcross the globe, many national, state, and district level governments are increasingly seeking to bring about school “self improvement” via the fostering of change, which, at best, is based on or informed by research, evidence, and data. According to the conceptualization of research-informed education as inquiry cycle, it is reasoned that there is value in combining the approaches of data-based decision-making and evidence-informed education. The originality of this paper lies in challenging common claims that teachers’ engagement with research supports development processes at schools and pupil performance.MethodsTo put this assumption to test, a data-set based on 1,457 staff members from 73 English primary schools (school year 2014/2015) was (re-)analyzed in this paper. Not only survey information about trust among colleagues, organizational learning and the research use climate was used (cf. Brown et al., 2016), but also the results from the most recent school inspections and the results from standardized assessment at the end of primary school. Of particular interest was, as to whether the perceived research use climate mediates the association between organizational learning and trust at school on the one hand and the average pupil performance on the other, and whether schools that were rated as “outstanding,” “good,” or “requires improvement” in their most recent school inspection differ in that regard. Data was analyzed based on multi-level structural equation modelling.ResultsOur findings indicate that schools with a higher average value of trust among colleagues report more organizational and research informed activities, but also demonstrate better results in the average pupil performance assessment at the end of the school year. This was particularly true for schools rated as “good” in previous school inspections. In contrast, both “outstanding” schools and schools that “require improvement” appeared to engage more with research evidence, even though the former seemed not to profit from it.DiscussionThe conclusion is drawn that a comprehensive model of research-informed education can contribute to more conceptual clarity in future research, and based on that, to theoretical development.

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Section: Conceptual Models Of Data-based Decision-making and Evidence...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Do pupils at research-informed schools actually perform better? Findings from a study at English schools

2023

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“…While family therapists acknowledge the need for clinical practice to be evidence-based, the difficulty is identifying any one methodology that does justice to the work. Here researchers and clinicians are beginning to ask for a wider understanding of the scientistpractitioner and biopsychosocial model that forms the basis for current definitions of evidence-based practice (Eisler, 2002;Harari, 2001;Harper et al, 2003;Larner, 2001;Soldz and McCullough, 2000). There is ongoing controversy about the political economy of evidence, how it is defined and who defines it.…”

Section: Family Therapy: Art and Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is wider than a scientist-practitioner model because RCTs are one of several factors to consider in choosing an effective treatment. As Harper et al (2003) note, the former are group results that tell us little about what works for individuals. In a systemic-practitioner model the important research question is how to measure systemic process whether in quantitative or qualitative terms (3), though as Michel (2003) notes, psychological meaning is primarily a qualitative attribute.…”

Section: Integrative Practice Model: Systemic Wisdommentioning

confidence: 99%

Family therapy and the politics of evidence

Larner¹

2004

Journal of Family Therapy

122

107

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This article situates family therapy in the politics of evidence‐based practice. While there is a wealth of outcome research showing that family therapy works, it remains on the margin of mainstream therapy and mental health practice. Until recently it has been difficult to satisfy ‘gold standards’ of randomized control research which require manualization and controlled replication by independent investigators. This is because systemic family therapy is language‐based, client‐directed and focused on relational process rather than step‐by‐step operational techniques. As a consequence family therapy is an empirically supported treatment unable to join the evidence‐based club. The politics here concerns what is ‘evidence’, who defines it and the limitations of a scientist‐practitioner model. Therapy is art and science and its research needs to be grounded in real‐life clinical practice. Common factors such as personal hope and resourcefulness and the therapeutic relationship contribute more to change than technique or model. While arguing for a wider definition of science and evidence it is politic to seek evidence‐based status for family therapy. Family therapy is a best practice approach for all therapists where systemic wisdom helps to decide what to do with whom when. A systemic‐practitioner model is informed by quantitative and qualitative research and holds modern and postmodern perspectives in tension, a stance I call paramodern. Family therapy is both scientific and systemic; it is a science of context, narrative and relationship.

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An Innovative Practitioner Research Model of Continuing Professional Development

Jindal‐Snape

Hannah

Smith

et al. 2009

School Psychology International

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This article presents an innovative model of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) that has been used in Scotland to encourage research and to develop research skills amongst applied educational (school) psychologists. 1 This is a process-based CPD model rather than the traditional `attendance at CPD workshops' model, leading to active learning and knowledge creation for the professional and the profession. Data collected from educational psychologists and stakeholders suggests that it is very effective but there is room for improvement. The lessons learnt over the 13 years of its operation and through a recently commissioned evaluation will hopefully be of interest to other applied educational psychologists internationally, as well as related professions.

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Beyond Evidence-Based Practice: Rethinking the Relationship between Research, Theory and Practice

Cited by 4 publications

References 49 publications

Do pupils at research-informed schools actually perform better? Findings from a study at English schools

Do pupils at research-informed schools actually perform better? Findings from a study at English schools

Family therapy and the politics of evidence

An Innovative Practitioner Research Model of Continuing Professional Development

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