The Evidential Basis of “Evidence-Based Education”

Evidence-based education (EBE) is a catchphrase for policymakers and school leaders, but this book questions whether the claims it makes are legitimate. It looks at the history of evidence disputes, the power of EBE arguments in modern bureaucracies, how practitioners might reason using evidence, and the concerns about key notions of rigor, science, representativeness, and effect size.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Evidence-based education (EBE) has gained significant attention among policy makers and school leaders, with its advocates touting its rigorous and scientific nature. This book, authored by esteemed educators and philosophers, aims to provide a comprehensive exploration of this approach, challenging whether the arguments it generates truly live up to the hype.

EBE advocates advocate for specific and limited methods to shape policy and practice in schools, with only a select subset of evidence deemed legitimate. Despite the fact that experimental methods, designed for the controlled environments of science and medicine, where subjects and treatments can be isolated, are often promoted as the gold standard, even when applied to complex social contexts involving interacting teachers and learners. This book delves into the issues surrounding this approach. It examines the historical background of evidence disputes, the reasons why EBE arguments have gained significant traction in modern bureaucracies, the ways in which practitioners might employ evidence, and the concerns surrounding key notions such as rigor, science, representativeness, and effect size, which are often misconstrued in EBE.

The chapters in this book were originally featured in a special issue of the journal, Educational Research and Evaluation.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367520342