Using research evidence to improve teaching and learning practices in schools is an important but complex task.
Drawing on the Monash Q Project’s 2019 - 2023 research involving over 2000 educators from across Australia, this article outlines some resources to assist teachers to use research well in their practice.
Four ways that school leaders can support research use by educators are: providing access to quality research, building the skills and confidence of teachers, ensuring teachers have time to find and use it, and developing an authentic research-use culture in schools.
1. Provide teachers with research resources
Teachers must have access to quality research findings. The Q Project’s research found that educators value a range of school-provided resources for their improved research use. These include access to ‘experts’ who can guide educators’ research use, such as instructional leaders, mentors or coaches, or having someone in a school-based research lead role.
The educators interviewed emphasised the importance of being able to access tangible resources, such as online research databases, academic journals or funded subscriptions to professional magazines.
Teachers also need to know how to determine the quality of the research they access.
One teacher interviewed commented that:
I can get overwhelmed with where to go to source research. I ask myself, ‘Am I missing something?’ There is so much research out there, being able to discern between what is really good and what’s not, well, that can be overwhelming too.
2. Upskill teachers to use the research confidently
To help educators develop their knowledge, skills and confidence in using research evidence, the Q Project has developed a professional learning short course, An Introduction to Using Research to Inform Educational Practice. This course guides participants in how to access research, appraise it for rigour and relevance, and implement it thoughtfully. The course consists of self-paced learning modules, videos, resources and activities, including practical case studies from Australian teachers.
A teacher who completed this professional learning course reflected that:
The modules were highly beneficial because they really emphasised the importance of relevance and the contextualisation of research. There's a whole lot of research available, but if it's not relevant to what we're doing, and we don't try to make it fit where we're at, then it will flop and won't have the success we'd hoped for.
3. Provide time for teachers to find and use research
A lack of sufficient time to find and implement research evidence is a major barrier for teachers in using research in their practice. One teacher we interviewed explained:
I don't have a lot of spare time to do these kinds of things… It limits the opportunity to even go searching for something, or even to think about it really.
The Q Project’s Q Suite resources give suggestions about how schools can provide time for using research, such as scheduling meetings that specifically focus on research use and taking a research-informed approach to prioritising which activities are introduced or continued in schools.
One school leader interviewed reflected on the value of taking time in order to use research well:
It does take time in order to digest what you've read, distil, and synthesise as a group. We wouldn’t have done it meaningfully if we hadn't slowed down.
The Q Project has developed the Quality Use of Research Evidence (QURE) Assessment Tool to support educators to reflect on their strengths and identify areas for improvement, such as providing sufficient time for using research. After answering the free and confidential questionnaire, the Assessment Tool produces an individualised profile and tailored scaffolds and resources to support areas of improvement. It can be used by individuals or groups to measure the growth in research use skills over time.
4. Establish a supportive research-use culture in school
In interviews conducted by the Q Project, educators emphasised the critical role that senior and middle leaders play in enabling and supporting the quality use of research in schools.
They highlighted how school leaders can support research use by:
- facilitating understanding of research
- providing infrastructure and resources
- promoting a clear vision for research use, and
- overseeing the implementation of a research-informed change.
One teacher commented that supportive leadership involved:
Leaders [who] are able to not only ‘quote’ the relevant research, but are able to match it with what is happening in the school and then model the application of that research to all teachers, staff and students.
In the Q Project’s research, school leaders also recognised the importance of establishing a research use culture in their school:
We have a culture here at our school whereby that's the way we operate. We ask the question - this is what the research is telling us, what does this make us think? As a team, how can we implement this in our classroom?
In particular, educators most valued opportunities where they could collaborate and learn together when engaging with research.
As part of supporting school leaders and teachers to embed a culture of research use in their school, the Q Project has developed another short course, Embedding Research Use in Educational Practice. This 12-week short course enables participants to undertake a school-based project to apply research evidence to a particular practice issue in their context. The course involves live webinars, self-guided modules and facilitator guidance and support.
Harnessing research to drive improvement
Using research to improve teaching and learning in schools is a rewarding but challenging endeavour. With students' needs being so diverse and dynamic, teachers need to know what kind of research-informed approaches work and how best to tailor them to work for their students and schools. Teachers and leaders are welcome to use the Q Project resources to assist them in their research journeys. Understanding the impact that schools and systems have experienced after integrating research in their practices and how to best harness research to support improvement can be very powerful.
For more information about the Monash Q Project, visit our website or join the conversation with us on X @MonashQProject.
Monash Q Project Resources
An Introduction to Using Research to Inform Educational Practice
Embedding Research Use in Educational Practice
Quality Use of Research Evidence (QURE) Assessment Tool
Q Project resources and publications
Understanding the Quality Use of Research Evidence in Education: What It Means to Use Research Well
References
Cutler, Blake; Gleeson, Jo; Rickinson, Mark; Walsh, Lucas; Salisbury, Mandy; Cirkony, Connie (2023). From ‘finding time’ to ‘investing time’: The importance of time and leadership for cultivating cultures of quality research use. Monash University. Journal contribution.
Gleeson, Jo; Cutler, Blake; Hall, Genevieve; Rickinson, Mark; Walsh, Lucas (2023). Elisa and Jake's Case Study: A school culture for quality research use. Monash University. Online resource.
Gleeson, Jo; Cutler, Blake; Hall, Genevieve; Rickinson, Mark; Walsh, Lucas (2023). Teresa's Case Study: Developing research use through professional learning. Monash University. Online resource.
Gleeson, Jo; Plant, Bernice; Boulet, Mark; Rickinson, Mark; Walsh, Lucas; Cutler, Blake; et al. (2021). Q Behavioural Insight: Time as a barrier to quality use of research. Monash University. Educational resource.
Gleeson, Jo; Rickinson, Mark; Walsh, Lucas; Salisbury, Mandy; Cirkony, Connie (2022). Quality leadership, quality research use: The role of school leaders in improving the use of research. Monash University. Journal contribution.
Gleeson, Jo; Rickinson, Mark; Salisbury, Mandy; Cutler, Blake; Walsh, Lucas; Cirkony, Connie (2021). Q Narrative: Chris and Emily's Story: Investing in Time. Monash University. Educational resource.
Gleeson, J., Rickinson, M., Walsh, L., Cutler, B., Salisbury, M., Hall, G., & Khong, H. (2023). Quality use of research evidence: practitioner perspectives. Evidence & Policy, 19(3), 423-443. Retrieved Sep 25, 2023.
Gleeson, Jo; Rickinson, Mark; Walsh, Lucas; Cutler, Blake; Khong, Hang; Plant, Bernice; et al. (2022). Q Data Insight: "School infrastructure for quality research use". Monash University. Online resource.
Rickinson, Mark; Gleeson, Jo; Walsh, Lucas; Salisbury, Mandy; Cutler, Blake; Cirkony, Connie (2021). Using Research Well in Australian Schools. Monash University. Report.
