This government report looks at the progress being made, and barriers towards improving, evidence informed-teaching practice in England. It may interest teachers who are keen to develop a more evidence-based approach.
Evidence-informed teaching: an evaluation of progress in England
Synopsis
Commissioned by the Department for Education in August 2014, this report assesses the progress being made towards an education system in which teachers improve their practice through the rigorous use of robust evidence.
Its findings indicate that the challenge for policy makers and researchers interested in enhancing evidence-informed teaching practice is not necessarily with either the supply of, or demand for, evidence: rather, it is with the level of leadership capacity and commitment to make it happen in the context of rapid curriculum and accountability change.
The review team found that most teachers valued research evidence, and whilst some teachers did not see the value of external research, most did. They also found that this positive attitude was influenced by the value placed on evidence-informed practice by senior leaders and, crucially, the need for such evidence to be problem and practice focused.