Slides presented at researchED London, 10 September, 2016

1. Evidence-based school
leadership and management
Are we missing a trick?
Dr Gary Jones, independent researcher, consultant and blogger

2. A summary of my argument
• The effective use of evidence has the potential bring about improvement in
pupil 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 the use of evidence-based
practice to improve the leadership and management of schools – this in
part because of a number of commonly held misconceptions
• Evidence-Based Management (EBMgt) may provide a way forward to help
school leaders make better informed and more effective decisions
• Nevertheless, EBMgt is a contested concept and should be seen in that
light

3. Underpinning theory of action
• School leaders routinely make decisions and judgements (about
interventions)
• Those decisions are based on evidence (information) of various and
many types
• Using only a little evidence that is not relevant or valid is likely to lead
to poorer decisions and poorer outcomes
• Using more relevant and valid evidence is likely to produce better
decisions and outcomes (pupils and staff)

6. Some quick quotes
• … researchers in business, law and linguistics have
focussed a significant amount of attention on
addressing the knowing-doing gap (Pfeiffer and
Sutton, 2000) p 670,
• The Evidence-Based Practice Model primarily values
empirical evidence obtained through randomized
control trials and match study designs (p670)

7. Some quick quotes
• How are evidence-based programmes and strategies best
selected, selected, introduced, implemented and sustained
in schools and what are the outcomes in terms of changes in
practice and school improvement (671)
• The hypthesis underpinning the enquiry is that combining
the concepts of expansive learning and a social model of
‘research-use’ of school leaders engagement with research
evidence and provide insights into school leaders’
engagement with research as a management tool for school
improvement (p671)

8. The five-stage engagement process (p675)
Epistemic actions Engagement process Focus
Questioning Stage 1 _ Setting the scene What aspects of T&L are
working well?
Analysing Stage 2 – Digging deeper Identify two foci for change
Constructing a model to
identify a solution
Stage 3 – A Way Forward Identifying programmes
Guidance for effective change
managements
Running the model Stage 4 – Managing Changes Teacher autonomy and
implementation fidelity
Consolidating outcomes into
a new stable form of practice
Stage 5 – Capturing Outcomes
and Sustaining Change
Cycle of enquiry and review

9. Observation 1
• There is a substantial literature post-2000 on Evidence-Based
Management and Practice which has not been referenced

11. Observation 2
• Randomised control trials are not at the apex of the pyramid of
evidence

13. Observation 3
• Evidence-Based Practice values fours sources of evidence

14. Evidence-based practice and four sources of
evidence

15. Observation 4
• Evidence-Based Management should have a broader focus than
school improvement and teaching and learning

16. Main elements of a MAT CEO’s job description
• Teaching and learning
• Leadership and strategy
• Performance and human resources
• Accountability
• Finance
• Safeguarding
• Equality and diversity

17. Evidence-Based Management :
Where did it come from ?

18. Medicine : The founding fathers
McMaster University Medical School, Canada
David Sackett Gordon Guyatt

19. Management : Founding Mother

20. Evidence-Based Management :
What is it?

23. Evidence-based practice and four sources of
evidence

24. Misconceptions associated with evidence-
based practice
• Evidence-based practice ignores the expertise and
knowledge of teachers and head-teachers.
• Evidence-based practice is the same as research-
informed practice.
• Evidence-based practice involves teachers
undertaking research
• Evidence-based practice is all about numbers and
statistics.

25. Misconceptions associated with evidence-
based practice
•
•School Leaders need to make decisions quickly
and don’t have time for evidence-based practice.
•Each school is unique, so the usefulness of
scientific evidence is limited.
•If you do not have high-quality evidence, you
cannot do anything
•Good-quality evidence gives you the answer to
the problem.

26. Main elements of a MAT CEO’s job description
• Teaching and learning
• Leadership and strategy
• Performance and human resources
• Accountability
• Finance
• Safeguarding
• Equality and diversity

28. Evidence-based management and
organisational behaviour
• Making decisions
• Bounded rationality
• Too much choice
• Use a few standard but adaptable tools to make decisions
• Hiring Talent
• Structured interviews can be a good predictor of job performance
• General mental ability is the single best predictor of individual productivity
• Motivating people
• Specific, challenging goals improves performance and learning
• Performance feedback aids learning when it is given intermittently rather
than constantly

30. Morrell and Learmouth (2015) p521

31. So to recap my argument
• The effective use of evidence can bring about improvement in pupil
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 the use of evidence-based
practice to improve the leadership and management of schools
• Evidence-Based Management (EBMgt) may provide a way forward to help
school leaders make better informed and more effective decisions
• Nevertheless, EBMgt is a contested concept and should be seen in that
light