Connie Cirkony

This book provides education professionals with an accessible and actionable guide to using research well in real-world contexts. Using research evidence to improve education is critically important but often poorly supported. There is little or no guidance for educators and leaders about how to do it well. Through practical examples, school case studies, improvement activities and practice checklists, this book unpacks what using research well involves, and shows you how to develop it as an action-based practice within your work. The book’s easy-to-read chapters guide you through the process of: identifying your purpose for using research and finding appropriate research, engaging with the research thoughtfully and implementing it effectively, and modelling and supporting quality research use within your organisation. Written for teachers and leaders across all stages of education who are wanting to use research evidence better within their work, this is an indispensable addition to the professional library.

This book provides education professionals with an accessible and actionable guide to using research well in real-world contexts. Using research evidence to improve education is critically important but often poorly supported. There is little or no guidance for educators and leaders about how to do it well. Through practical examples, school case studies, improvement activities and practice checklists, this book unpacks what using research well involves, and shows you how to develop it as an action-based practice within your work. The book’s easy-to-read chapters guide you through the process of: identifying your purpose for using research and finding appropriate research, engaging with the research thoughtfully and implementing it effectively, and modelling and supporting quality research use within your organisation. Written for teachers and leaders across all stages of education who are wanting to use research evidence better within their work, this is an indispensable addition to the professional library.

This book focuses on the question of how to understand quality use of research evidence in education, or what it means to use research evidence well. Internationally there are widespread efforts to increase the use of research evidence within educational policy and practice. Such efforts raise important questions about how we understand not just the quality of evidence, but also the quality of its use. To date, there has been wide-ranging debate about the former, but very little dialogue about the latter. Based on a five-year study with schools and school systems in Australia, this book sheds new light on: why clarity about quality of use is critical to educational improvement; how quality use of research evidence can be framed in education; what using research well involves and looks like in practice; what quality research use means for individuals, organisations and systems; and what aspects of using research well still need to be better understood. This book will be an invaluable resource for professionals within and beyond education who want to better understand what using research evidence well means and involves and how it can be supported.

This book focuses on the question of how to understand quality use of research evidence in education, or what it means to use research evidence well. Internationally there are widespread efforts to increase the use of research evidence within educational policy and practice. Such efforts raise important questions about how we understand not just the quality of evidence, but also the quality of its use. To date, there has been wide-ranging debate about the former, but very little dialogue about the latter. Based on a five-year study with schools and school systems in Australia, this book sheds new light on: why clarity about quality of use is critical to educational improvement; how quality use of research evidence can be framed in education; what using research well involves and looks like in practice; what quality research use means for individuals, organisations and systems; and what aspects of using research well still need to be better understood. This book will be an invaluable resource for professionals within and beyond education who want to better understand what using research evidence well means and involves and how it can be supported.