1. Evidence-based Policy Research in Education Tracey Burns Bucharest 6 March 2009

2. Background Educational R&D: Trends, Issues and Developments (1995) Knowledge Management: reports on innovation in knowledge-based economies 2002-6: national reviews of educational R&D: NZ, England, Mexico, Denmark, Switzerland Evidence in Education: Linking Research and Policy (2007)

3. Key lessons Education and knowledge are important for human capital development, innovation and economic growth YET -Low levels of investment in educational R&D -Low system capacity -Weak research-policy links

4. EbPR: Themes Experimental design, Randomised Control Trials, definitions of robustness and rigour –Washington DC, March 2004 Links between policy and research, relationships between main stakeholders –Stockholm, January 2005 Brokerage agencies: functions and achievements –The Hague, September 2005 Implementation, scaling up, and future steps –London, July 2006

5. Policy-makersResearchers Practitioners School boards/Media Leaders parents Knowledge networks Questions: What are strengths/weaknesses of each of these links? How best to encourage stronger cooperation?

6. EVIDENCE IN EDUCATION: Linking research and policy (2007) Part 1 The evidence agenda Part 2 Mediating the Research/Policy Interface Part 3 EbPR in practice Part 4 The politicians’ perspective

7. Thank you! For more information: www.oecd.org/edu/rd/ebpr

8. Methodologies and epistemologies Methodological debate: Scientific ideal(s) vs best available Warfare, mutual invisibility or complementarity Capacity building: – deepening vs broadening – producers and consumers Questions What forms of capacity are most in need of strengthening? How and by whom should this be done?

9. Brokerage agencies Issues/functions: Dissemination: publications, internet, presentations Promoting interactivity Legitimating rigour/quality Developing cooperation/trust Questions What are the different functions of brokerage agencies? What are their achievements to date?

10. Brokerage Agencies: Participants Canada Council on Learning (Canada) Danish Clearinghouse (Denmark) DIPF (Germany) Knowledge Chamber (The Netherlands) Best Evidence Synthesis (New Zealand) Swiss Coordination Centre in Research in Education (Switzerland) EPPI- Centre (UK) What Works Clearinghouse (USA)