Evidence-based practice : A possible curriculum for

teachers and leaders researchED Washington DC,

22 October 2016

@DrGaryJones

jones.gary@gmail.com

A summary of my argument

The effective use of evidence can bring about improvement in learner outcomes (and staff well being)

The current English educational system is encouraging schools, school leaders and teachers to engage with research and evidence.

However, insufficient attention has been paid to developing a curricula for Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

Using material developed for evidence-based medicine and evidence-based management may provide a way forward to help develop a curricula for EBP within education

Nevertheless, EBP is an often misunderstood concept which hinders the development of such a curricula

Developments in England (1)

‘We’ll ensure discredited ideas unsupported by firm evidence are not promoted to new teachers’ p12

New independent College of Teachers

New independent peer-reviewed British educational journal

Education Endowment Foundation remit expanded to support evidence-based teaching

New Standards for Teachers’ Professional DevelopmentToby Greany, 20 October, 2016

Onus on schools (2)Academies - autonomous and accountable

Local authorities - minimal resources and capacity

Schools driving Initial Teacher Training

Teaching schools define and disseminate effective practice

Toby Greany, 20 October, 2016

BARENDS, E., ROUSSEAU, D. M. & BRINER, R. B. 2014. Evidence-Based Management : The Basic Principles. In: MANAGEMENT, C. F. E.-B. (ed.). Amsterdam7

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Some common misconceptions

Evidence-based practice ignores the expertise and knowledge of teachers and Principals.

Evidence-based practice is the same as research-informed practice.

Evidence-based practice involves teachers undertaking research.

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Curricula outline of minimum standard educational requirements

Vary from role to role

Minimum requirement understand principles of EBP

Critical attitude to own practice and attitude

Hurd’s list of desirable educational outcomes

Distinguish evidence from propaganda

Probability from certainty

Data from assertions

Rational belief from superstitions

Science from folkloreHURD, P. D. 1998. Scientific literacy: New minds for a changing world. Science education, 82, 407-416

BARENDS, E., ROUSSEAU, D. M. & BRINER, R. B. 2014. Evidence-Based Management : The Basic Principles. In: MANAGEMENT, C. F. E.-B. (ed.). Amsterdam12

A curriculum for evidence-based practitioners

Ask

Acquire

Appraise

Aggregate

Act

Appraise

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Ask : Translating a practical problem into an answerable

question

Identifying a problem of practice

Identifying knowledge gaps and asks foreground questions

Develops focused questions that lead to effective search and appraisal strategies

Acquiring : systematically searching for and retrieving the

evidenceDesigns and conducts a search strategy incorporating multiple sources of evidence

Understands the strengths and weaknesses of different types of evidence

Is able to articulate own theory of action

Adopts an inquiry stance towards colleagues’ views

Appraising : critically judging the trust worthiness of the evidence

Critically read research

Aware of some of the challenges of using statistics

Aware of cognitive biases

Explore the ladder of inference

Aggregating : pulling together and weighting the evidenceDevelops mechanisms for aggregating and weighting the evidence

Identifies the relevance of the evidence to problem which prompted the question

Uses checklists to ensure key elements covered

Applying : incorporating the evidence into the decision-making

process

Understands and is aware of stakeholder interests

Develops a plan to implement decision

Implements the decision

Assessing the outcome of decisions taken

Evaluate the outcome of the decision

Consider performance as an evidence-based practitioner

Ask : Translating a practical problem into an answerable

question

Identifying a problem of practice

Identifying knowledge gaps and asks foreground questions

Develops focused questions that lead to effective search and appraisal strategies

Distinguishing between background and background questions

Background question

A question root (who, what, how, when, how ) with a verb

An issue or matter of interest

What are the potential benefits of using ICT to help with pupils’ learning

Foreground question

For KS1 pupils how can ICT help with struggling readers?

The PICO FormatP — Pupil or Problem. How would you describe the group of pupils or problem?

I — Intervention. What are you planning to do with your pupils?

C — Comparison. What is the alternative to the intervention/action/innovations

O — Outcomes. What are the effects of the intervention/action/intervention?

ExamplesFor pupils requiring additional learning support (P) how does the provision of 1 to 1 support (I) compared with group support (C) affect achievement rates.(0)

For pupils aged 16 who failed to achieve at least at a grade C in GCSE English (P) and subsequently retake GCSE English (I) at the end of the academic year, how well do they achieve (O) compared to students who have been prepared and entered for iGCSE English (C)

The PICO FormatP — Pupil or Problem. How would you describe the group of pupils or problem?

I — Intervention. What are you planning to do with your pupils?

C — Comparison. What is the alternative to the intervention/action/innovations

O — Outcomes. What are the effects of the intervention/action/intervention?

Other frameworksPEO

Pupil, Experience, Outcome

CIMO

Context, Intervention, Mechanism, Outcome

SPICE

Setting, Perspective, Intervention, Comparator, Evaluator

BenefitsFocuses your scarce professional learning time on evidence that is directly relevant to the needs of pupils, school or colleagues.

Focuses your scarce professional learning time on evidence that directly addresses your particular knowledge requirements

Help you develop time effective search strategies for relevant evidence

Suggest the forms that useful answers might look like

When asking for support from a colleagues or more senior member of staff, they can help you communicate more clearly.

When supporting colleagues in their own professional learning, they can help you model aspects of evidence-based practice.

When you ask well formulated questions which you then answer, this will increase your job-satisfaction and your ability to effectively do your own job.

To concludeThe effective use of evidence can bring about improvement in learner outcomes (and staff well being)

The current English educational system is encouraging schools, school leaders and teachers to engage with research and evidence.

However, insufficient attention has been paid to developing a curricula for Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

Using material developed for evidence-based medicine and evidence-based management may provide a way forward to help develop a curricula for EBP

Nevertheless, EBP is an often misunderstood which hinders the development of such a curricula