Understanding and Improving Research Use in Australian Schools

• In Event: Enablers and Barriers to Research-Informed Education: Exploring International Perspectives

Abstract

"Purposes: Drawing on an ongoing five-year study (the Monash Q Project) of research use in Australian schools, this paper will discuss: the idea of 'quality use of research evidence' or using research well, and educators' views on what helps and what hinders quality use of research in practice. The aim is to stimulate dialogue with international colleagues around enablers and barriers to strengthening research-informed education within schools.

Theoretical Framework: This paper is underpinned and informed by the concept of 'quality use of research evidence' or using research well. The Monash Q Project's 'Quality Use of Research Evidence Framework' (QURE) defines quality use as 'thoughtful engagement with and implementation of appropriate research evidence' (Rickinson et al., 2020, p.5). This framework provides a lens with which to make sense of and talk about the development of research-informed practice in Australian schools.

Methods: This paper will share findings emerging from secondary (cross-sector systematic review) and primary (school-based empirical investigation) research. The QURE Framework is based on a systematic review and narrative synthesis of relevant publications from health, social care, policy and education (Rickinson et al., 2021a). The empirical insights into educators' experiences of using research well in is based on surveys and interviews with almost 500 Australian teachers and school leaders (Rickinson et al., 2021b; 2021c).

Data Sources: This paper will present ideas and insights based on: systematic review and narrative synthesis of 112 relevant publications from health, social care, policy and education; and surveys (n=492) and interviews (n=27) with teachers and school leaders in Australian schools.

Results: This paper will show that using research well matters to Australian educators, and that quality use of research in practice is: embedded, collective, purposeful, time and effort-dependent, curiosity driven and highly professional.

Significance: Improved use of research in education requires clarity about not only what counts as quality research evidence, but also what counts as quality use. To date, there has been wide-ranging debate about the former, but very little dialogue about the latter. This paper will therefore present new conceptual and empirical insights into an important but under-researched aspect of research-informed education. "

Authors

• Mark Rickinson, Monash Univeristy

• Mandy Salisburg, Durham University