Using Research Well in Australian Schools – Q Discussion Paper #2

This Discussion Paper offers a unique practitioner perspective on quality research use. It presents educators' views on using research well in terms of key characteristics and connections to the Quality Use of Research Evidence Framework (pdf). It outlines considerations for teachers, school leaders, system leaders, researchers, and research organisations in relation to increasing and improving the quality use of research in schools.

Read full discussion paper (pdf) Read 2-page summary (pdf)

Educational resources

• Q Suite: A set of resources and insights for educators
  This Q Suite showcases data findings from a survey of nearly 500 practitioners. It focuses on the theme of 'finding and using research and evidence in practice.'

Professional publications

• Collaborative teaching: sharing best practice, AITSL Collaborative Spotlight
• How and why educators use research and evidence: Insights from the Monash Q Project (pdf), ACEL Newsletter, Industry News
• Quality Use of Research: Considerations from Ireland & Australia for Irish leaders engaged in SSE, Leadership+ The Professional Voice of School Leaders (Issue 118)
• Research and Evidence Use in Australian Schools – Survey, analysis and key findings
  This Q Report draws on quantitative finding from the Q Project’s first survey of educators. The report is technical in nature, outlining all findings, as well as the research rationale, design and approach to gathering and analysing the survey data.
• Using research evidence well in education (pdf), Learning Difficulties Australia Bulletin (LDA)
• Research and Evidence Use in Australian Schools - Early Insights from Educators (pdf)
• "Towards Quality Use of Research Evidence In Education" Discussion Paper
  Our Discussion Paper aims to stimulate debate about the process of working towards high-quality use of research evidence in Australian education.
• Quality Use of Research Evidence Framework
  We have developed a conceptual framework that defines and elaborates on what ‘quality use of research evidence’ might mean in education.
• Towards quality use of evidence in education, The Australian Educational Leader (ACEL)
• Understanding quality of evidence use, Research Intelligence (BERA)
• Quality leadership, quality research use: The role of school leaders in improving the use of research, Australian Education Leader (ACEL)
• Using research well: A framework for understanding quality use of research evidence, William T Grant Foundation

Academic publications

• Insights from a cross-sector review on how to conceptualise the quality of use of research evidence. Humanities  and Social Sciences Communications, Springer Nature
• Using research evidence to improve practice, in Building Better Schools with Evidence-based Policy, Edited by Kelly-Ann Allen, Andrea Reupert, Lindsay Oades
• The relational features of evidence use, Cambridge Journal of Education
• Towards a better understanding of quality of evidence use, in Getting Evidence into Education, Edited by Stephen Gorard
• Challenges and opportunities of evidence use in Australian children’s development programs, Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work

Presentations

• What does it mean to use evidence well? Discussion Event 13, #298
  Lucas Walsh and Connie Cirkony presented at Evidence and Implementation Summit 2021
  (March 30 – 31 2021)
• Panel 8 - Contextual Relevance
  Mark Rickinson and Jo Gleeson presented at Evidence and Implementation Summit 2021
  (March 30 – 31 2021)
• A Systematic approach to making sense of cross-disciplinary research evidence
  Connie Cirkony presenting at Contemporary Approaches to Research in Mathematics, Science, Health & Environmental Education Symposium (CAR) Deakin University (23 November 2020)
• What does it mean to use research evidence well in education?
  Mark Rickinson presented at the EIS Virtual series webinar 6. (26 October 2020)
• Quality Use of Research Evidence in Schools after COVID-19
  Q Project Monash Webinar (16 September, 2020)
• Schools using research
  Mark Rickinson for AARE Webinar on “Engaging with Research in Schools” (16 Sept. 2020)
• Quality of research use - early ideas from the Q Project (pdf)
  Rickinson and Cirkony [Slides from the William T Grant Foundation Forum, 26 March 2019]
• Towards quality use of evidence (pptx)
  Rickinson [Slides from Monash Learning and Teaching Conference, 5 June 2019]
• Towards Quality Use of Evidence in Schools (pdf)
  Rickinson and Walsh [Slides from Research Forum Seminar, Queensland Department of Education, 23 July 2019]
• National Evidence Institute: Some initial ideas (pdf)
  Rickinson [Slides from AARE Schools and Education Systems SIG seminar, 25 July 2019]
• Collaboration for Quality Use of Research in Education (pdf)
  Mark Rickinson and Jo Gleeson [presented at BNU-Durham-Monash Joint Online Conference, 22 February 2021]

Interviews

• Podcast: Change: The Relationship of Education to Uncertainty in Change One Thing, Ep 13 (Lucas Walsh)
• Podcast: TER podcast about The Q Project (Mark Rickinson, Lucas Walsh, and Jo Gleeson)
• Podcast: TSC SouthWest Podcast on research use in schools (Mark Rickinson)
• Podcast: CPD Portal Edcast - Challenging Thinking Podcast, the Q Project (Jo Gleeson)
• Radio: 2NM about the Q Project (Lucas Walsh)