New guide to engaging with evidence

Submitted by Jonathan Haslam on Fri, 15/03/2019 - 1:00am

The Institute for Effective Education has published a new guide to help those new to engaging with evidence.

Teachers and schools are being encouraged to become more evidence-based or evidence-informed, the aim being to use evidence to improve teaching practice. By acting on the best evidence, it increases the likelihood that we will make better decisions.

But how do we identify the best evidence? Whether it is a blog or a research article, with so much information out there, how can you find the evidence that is useful and reliable?

This guides give you some initial pointers. When looking for the answer to a particular question, the aim is to help you to look for evidence that is appropriate for that question, and begin to weigh its value.

In particular:

  • understand about different forms of evidence and different kinds of research
  • understand which types of research/evidence are best placed to answer different sorts of questions
  • be aware of the limitations of different forms of evidence
  • have some key questions you can ask to test the relevance and usefulness of evidence sources.

The guide also includes some links to popular sources and resources that can help you engage with evidence and begin to make the best decisions for the pupils in your school.

Engaging with evidence guide, Institute for Effective Education, March 2019