Governments and supranational organizations are increasingly adopting approaches to enhance decision-making processes in publicly funded entities, including education. One prominent approach is to provide stakeholders, such as teachers and school leaders, with the necessary resources for data-based decision-making and research-informed practice. This approach, known as evidence-informed practice (EIP), combines practitioner expertise with external research and evaluation-based evidence, and aims to inform capacity building and to underpin professional learning. In Ireland, recent educational reforms have emphasised EIP, leading to the establishment of an Evidence-Informed Educational Policy and Practice SIG. This SIG aims to explore theoretical, policy, and practice-based issues related to EIP at different levels and facilitate collaborative discussions. It seeks to understand challenges, opportunities, hindrances, and facilitating factors for evidence-informed practice in teacher education and beyond. The SIG’s focus includes international developments, pre-service and in-service education (including practitioner research), educational evaluation, data-informed decision-making, cooperation between regions and nations, SDG4 Quality Education, and engaged research. It also aims to inform policy and practice for EIP and school/system improvement, build a globally aware research base, contribute to school evaluation and educational leadership, and enhance research capacities for educational researchers.
Evidence-Informed Educational Policy and Practice SIG
