Educational research for professional practice: More than providing evidence for doing ‘x rather than y’ or finding the ‘size of the effect of A on B’

Abstract

Educational research has been criticised by governments and practitioners. For some politicians and policy makers, there is a tendency to look for direct links between research and successful, effective and efficient practice.Research is needed to inform their evidence-based practice as policy makers, and to provide the kind of research teachers need to base their practice on the best available evidence for doing 'x rather than y' (Hargreaves 1996) or predicting the 'size of the effect of A on B' (Blunkett 2000). There is no doubt that both teachers and policy makers do make decisions on a daily basis based on some form of evidence. This paper explores Hargreaves' notion of evidencebased practice, providing a range of criticisms. It also examines Carr's historical account of 'praxis' and 'poiesis' to suggest a notion of evidencebased praxis based partly on the historical notion of 'phronesis' -practical wisdom. The basis for this is the argument that wise and practical ethical and moral judgements are central to an understanding of teachers' daily work. What to do in a specific educational situation cannot be determined solely by theoretical beliefs or by 'techne'. However the ethical dimension is not the only consideration. The paper suggests that evidence-based praxis use Stenhouse's notion of 'actionable evidence', which includes the ethical dimension, but also Thomson's concept of 'thisness', which describes the unique contextual characteristics of a school. If disadvantaged schools can make some sort of difference to learning opportunities for students, it is argued that teachers might engage in evidence-based praxis which involves them in reflecting on, and theorising what is happening in classrooms, schools and neighbourhoods. This 'praxis' also involves them in modifying their theories, critically analysing •65The Australian Educational Researcher, Volume 30, Number 2, August 2003 'what works', questioning how they know and developing ideas about how things might be done differently. There will be an element of developing knowledge about teaching and learning strategies (Hargreaves' 'body of knowledge'), but it will be in the context of the ethical and moral dilemmas associated with education. It will take up the question of local differences as well as a realistic approach to what constitutes actual school improvement. Evidence-based praxis is also essentially a collective activity not an individual approach. Future development of the notion of evidence-based praxis might also include involving students in a more reciprocal and open learning process like that highlighted by researchers who focus on student participation linked to school reform.

UONEDU as Social Innovation: From Education to Education

“…The identified evidence can be served for educational policymakers to use evidence for educational policymaking for Global contexts and international context. As Wiseman (2005Wiseman ( , 2010 and Rogers (2003) guiding educational policymakers to use evidence for educational policymaking for Global contexts and international context and pointing of three fundamental macro theoretical approaches that explain, that this evidence give: a) the technical-functional perspective -suggests that educational policymakers use evidence to find the most effective and successful ways to address important educational issues and problems, b) the sociopolitical perspectiveshape policymakers' decisions and approaches to educational issues or problems and models for policymaking that exist and become slowly institutionalized as part of many organizational systems, c) the institutional or organizational perspective. In this manner, small-scale organizations give their contribution.…”

“…The most obvious way is to make their evidence that policy makers can use for their actions and inclusions in the systems. Wiseman (2005Wiseman ( , 2010 and Rogers (2003) guiding educational policymakers to use evidence for educational policymaking for Global contexts and international context. They are bringing and pointing three fundamental macro theoretical approaches that explain why evidence either is or should be used to inform or guide educational policymaking: a) the technicalfunctional perspective -suggests that educational policymakers use evidence to find the most effective and successful ways to address important educational issues and problems, the goal most often being increased student learning and effective classroom teaching at the least possible expense, b) the sociopolitical perspective -shape policymakers' decisions and approaches to educational issues or problems and models for policymaking that exist and become slowly institutionalized as part of many organizational systems, c) the institutional or organizational perspective.…”

The post-truth tyrannies of an evidence-based hegemony

“…Australian schooling policymaking has seen the effects of the local adoption of global policies, a phenomenon referred to as "policy-borrowing" (Lingard, 2010). Rogers (2003) argues that evidencebased rhetoric borrowed from the UK was "ripe for adaptation in Australia" (p. 67). This, as well as the combination of market logics and constant schooling reform, has seen regulation and standardisation become policymaking constants (Groundwater-Smith & Mockler, 2018).…”

The Uses of Evidence for Educational Policymaking: Global Contexts and International Trends

“…This is a straightforward approach to educational decision making. It is technically and functionally efficient and the most frequently and most publicly expressed perspective among policymakers (Rogers, 2003; Wiseman, 2005).…”