In the Name of Science: The Emergence and Implications of "Evidence-Based Practice" in Education Policy

• In Event: Critical Examinations of Neoliberalism and Innovation in Education Policy Making

Abstract

Policy talk may be semantically similar across contexts, but pragmatically, teachers and policymakers often use the same words with very different intentions and implications, as demonstrated with evidence-based practice (EBP). In this paper I will take a historical look at the EBP from its emergence in Medicine during the early 1990s to its proliferation within education policy talk to its enshrinement in education policy through the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). By tracing EBP to its roots, I will argue that, despite the espoused intentions of researchers and policymakers alike, EBP tends to promote top-down policy implementation, privilege narrow forms of quantitative research, perpetuate a neoliberal vision of Education, and patronize teacher voice, all in the name of science.

Author

• Nikki W Cohron, The Pennsylvania State University