Getting Evidence into Education - Practical for Policymakers

In this review of Getting Evidence into Education the bottom line is clear: this is a focused, practical read for researchers, education policymakers and senior practitioners who want to see robust research actually influence classroom and system decision making. Stephen Gorard examines barriers to uptake and points toward practical levers for change, using the Durham University Evidence Centre for Education as a central example; the book's biggest strength is its real-world case studies that show how evidence can move from publication to practice.

Key Features

• Evidence-to-policy focus: Explains the processes that help research inform public education services so readers can identify where change is possible in their own systems.
• Case study driven: Contains varied, concrete cases from early childhood policy in Brazil to admissions in Scotland that illustrate successes and obstacles in using research.
• Institutional perspective: Uses the Durham University Evidence Centre for Education as a sustained example to show how a centre can support evidence use in education.
• Practical recommendations: Offers actionable suggestions for improving take-up of suitable research evidence rather than only diagnosing the problem.
• Audience-aware: Written with policymakers and senior educators in mind, so its examples and language are directly relevant to decision makers.

Who It's For

The book is best suited to education policymakers, evidence leads in school systems, senior school leaders and researchers who want to see their findings used more effectively. Its emphasis on institutional practice and case studies makes it especially useful for those charged with designing evidence use strategies or creating evidence centres.

Practitioners looking for classroom-level teaching techniques or a textbook on research methods should look elsewhere; this is about system-level translation of research into policy and public service rather than step-by-step classroom interventions.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Concrete case studies provide clear examples of how evidence informed policy in diverse settings.
• A sustained institutional lens shows what an evidence centre can realistically achieve and how it operates.
• Practical recommendations help readers convert insights into actionable steps for their own organisations.

Cons

• Not a how-to manual for classroom practice, so teachers seeking lesson-level guidance will find limited direct application.

Specifications

Title	Getting Evidence into Education
Author	Stephen Gorard
Focus	Improving take-up of research evidence in education
Central example	Durham University Evidence Centre for Education
Content type	Case studies and policy analysis
Geographic examples	Includes Brazil and Scotland among others

Our Verdict

Getting Evidence into Education is a valuable, pragmatic book for anyone responsible for moving research into use within education systems. It combines institutional insight with concrete case studies and sensible recommendations, making it good value for policymakers and evidence leads who need a realistic roadmap for increasing research impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book include practical examples?
Yes. It contains case studies from early childhood policy in Brazil to admissions policy in Scotland to illustrate real instances of evidence use.

Who authored the book and what perspective does it take?
Stephen Gorard authored the book and uses the Durham University Evidence Centre for Education as a sustained institutional example to examine evidence uptake.

Is this useful for classroom teachers?
It is mainly aimed at policymakers and system leaders; classroom teachers may find insight on evidence translation but not lesson-level instruction.