Evidence-based school leadership and management

Are we missing a trick?

Dr Gary Jones, independent researcher, consultant and blogger

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

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)

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)

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)

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 programmesGuidance 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

Observation 1

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

Observation 2

• Randomised control trials are not at the apex of the pyramid of evidence

Observation 3

• Evidence-Based Practice values fours sources of evidence

Evidence-based practice and four sources of evidence

Observation 4

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

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

Evidence-Based Management :Where did it come from ?

Medicine : The founding fathers

McMaster University Medical School, Canada

David Sackett Gordon Guyatt

Management : Founding Mother

Evidence-Based Management :What is it?

Evidence-based practice and four sources of evidence

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.

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.

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

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

Morrell and Learmouth (2015) p521

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