The Use of Evidence to Improve Education and Serve the Public Good

Centre for Commonwealth Education Seminar: The Use of Evidence to Improve Education and Serve the Public Good, Adrienne Alton-Lee

Location: Room GS5 at the Faculty of Education

This seminar explores the challenges of mobilising research and development to inform ongoing improvement in valued outcomes for diverse (all) learners across school systems.

The Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) Programme is charged with developing trustworthy bodies of evidence about what does and doesn’t work in education. The approach celebrates the outstanding work of teachers and principals as a resource for improvement and champions a ‘first do no harm in education’ principle.

To optimise the usefulness of this evidence BES work is informed by collaboration with teacher unions, school leaders, universities and other stakeholder groups. Summaries of the syntheses are featured on the UNESCO website and have been translated into many languages. The seminar will consider the significance of a new BES innovation – BES exemplars. These have been developed in response to feedback from practitioners about what they need to support their use of evidence to accelerate improvement.

The seminar will identify key messages that can be used to inform effective use of evidence in the service of educational improvement for the public good. Following the seminar there will be a discussion session to consider the knowing–doing gap, and affordances for ongoing improvement.

Adrienne Adrienne Alton-Lee is the Chief Education Adviser for the New Zealand Ministry of Education's Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis (BES) Programme. She endeavours to leverage evidence about influences on valued outcomes for diverse (all) learners for educational system improvement. The BES development process she leads is strengthened through collaborative work with teachers and principals. Her vision is focussed on the role of collaborative high-impact research and development as a driver for improvement. Dr Alton-Lee is a Fellow of the International Academy of Education and has recently taken the role of editor of the International Academy of Education's Education Policy Series. She was formerly a teacher, classroom researcher, Professor and an Associate Editor of Teaching and Teacher Education. She has published in leading educational journals including the Harvard Educational Review, the Elementary School Journal, the International Journal of Inclusive Education and Review of Research in Education.

Refreshments are available from 16.45 and the seminar is open to all.