Putting evidence into practice: Five things to consider

So, you’ve identified an area for development in your school. You’ve explored the evidence and have a pretty good sense of what approach is most likely to work in your context.

What then? What might you then need to consider to put that evidence into action effectively?

Many of the themes in the EEF’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit are broad. For instance, feedback includes studies on digital and oral feedback, whilst metacognition findings are based on studies conducted in primary and secondary sitting. Using the filters to understand the context and nature in which the evidence was gathered will help determine its suitability for your school.

But it’s not just understanding where evidence comes from that matters; it’s also important to understand exactly how it works. Being clear about the ​‘active ingredients’ – the things responsible for changing outcomes, such as the use of graphic organisers and think alouds in a reading intervention – should help ensure you stay focused.