While it is not always easy to see the tectonic plates moving, a culture shift appears to be occurring in English schools towards widespread engagement with research (DfE, 2022).
Yet, when we consider the development of evidence-informed practice we often focus on schools and teachers, rather than the education system as a whole. In a recent paper published in Review of Education we have taken a wider perspective to consider the overall systems in which research evidence is produced, mobilised and used (Maxwell et al., 2022).
But what exactly do we mean by a ‘research use system’ in education and what are the potential implications for schools, policymakers and intermediary organisations?
A system can be defined as ‘a set of components that work together as a whole to achieve a common goal. A system is greater than the sum of its constituent components because the relationship between the different components adds value to the system’ (Ndaruhutse et al., 2019). In that respect, a loaf of bread could be considered as a system, in that you take a group of separate ingredients – flour, water and so on – and add the action of heat and yeast to create something that is greater than the sum of the parts. Systems are dynamic and constantly evolving, which also applies to a loaf of bread as it is initially baked and then goes dry over time.
