Evidence based policy making: trends and challenges in SEE

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Evidence based policy making trends and
challenges in SEE

• Vienna, November, 2009
• Tünde Kovac-Cerovic

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• The researcher Are policies using research
  evidence?
• The policy maker Are research agendas addressing
  policy dilemmas?

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Conclusion from Bucharest BHC Which path?
high quality
Based on impressions
Based on evidence
low quality
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3 reasons why evidence is more important in
education

• Lay theories strong
• Learning cannot be legislated
• Even if it could be, changing atmoshere in
  education

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General impression/SEE

• Context
• Politics/ideology flooding policy
• Shrunk research potential (brain drain, lack of
  data, fragmented research space)
• Development agenda does not prioritize education
• Education underfunded, unattractive
• Expectation
• Evidence based policy making and using evidence
  is a far ideal

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However

• Evidence is increasingly important for policy
  decisions in SEE
• Consequence of PISA
• Consequence of political instabilities
• Consequence of reporting requirements
• Consequence of access to information
• Consequence of project requirements
• Policy dilemmas are increasingly informing
  research agendas in SEE
• Funds for policy related research
• Researchers fascination with big data sets
• Motivational aspect Research can be relevant!
• New niches of evidence-based policymaking appeared

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New niches of policy making

• Responding to the economic crisis (efficiency,
  rationalization, financing mechanisms, more for
  less)
• Responding to global policy challenges
• Inclusion/equity (Roma, SEN)
• Early education
• Opening long-standing unresolved issues
• Teachers/teacher education
• Introducing formative assessment
• Opening new agendas
• What is going on in the school? In the classroom?
• Student academic motivation
• Parent/student participation in decision-making

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Current niches of research in Serbia

• Responding to previous policy questions
• Bologna TE
• Analyzing PISA TIMSS
• Assessment of policies under implementation
  (equity implications)
• Preschool
• Scholarships
• Evaluation of pilots
• Roma programs
• VET reform
• TT programs

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• Are there mismatches?
• dense policy agenda thin research
  capacities
• Further needs

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Finding connections between input and process
variables which maximize learning and social
outcomes
Economic research
input
process
outcomes
Evidence- Based Teaching
Structures Financing Management
Revisit all 3
Learning outcomes Social outcomes
Education research
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Need 1 descriptive analysis of input or process
variables
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Missing analysis/neglected fields of policy
research

• Financing mechanisms
• Corruption
• Excluded children
• Teaching force
• Teacher education
• and
• Classroom practices
• Hidden curriculum
• Parent/student participation

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NEED 2 Pulling together existing knowledge on
process
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Overview on Pulling together existing
knowledge

• 3 examples
• Learning
• Teaching strategies of learning and motivation
• Assessment and feedback
• Teaching Teaching methods
• Social interaction in the teaching/learning
  environment
• Reflected in education research

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Example A/ Research on learning

• effective teaching,
• 100 x 10 x 12 studies each year
• Re-conceptualizing learning Educational
  psychologist 2009
• meta-meta-analyses (Hattie, 2007, EARLI, on
  750 meta-analyses, 50,000 studies, and 200
  million students)

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Hattie Main factors of achievement
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Influences on Achievement
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• John Hattie

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Learning strategies in SEE flip side

• Teachers know?
• Parents request?
• Students do?
• Private tutors?
• Assessment flip side
• Objective?
• Oral examination not objective, not reliable,
  rare
• Relevant?
• Includes irrelevant variables verbal fluency,
  sensitivity for non-verbal signalisation...
• Informative?
• For teachers?
• For students?
• Loss of possibility to gain complex learning
  outcomes

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Example B/Teaching methods

• Johnson Johnson, 1983 2000
• 158 studies on the effects of cooperative learning

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Effective teaching methods for different goals
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Effective cooperative teaching methods (2000)
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Cooperative learning flip side ?

• Wide offer
• Slim practice
• Emphasis on knowledge of specific information
• Loss of possibility to gain complex learning
  outcomes

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Example C/ research on Teacher/student
interactions

• Research shows that quality of interaction
  matters, school can create barriers or support
• 1. Hierarchy of motives
• Crucial 4th and 5th level
• Respect basic to knowledge and understanding
• Respect need not felt if met, felt only if not
  met source of misunderstandings
• Students memories

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Teacher/student interactions

• 2. Expectations
• Expectations of teachers function as
  self-fulfilling prophecies
• Capacity development (Rosenthal Jacobson)
• Motivation (Pelletier Vallerand)
• 3. Complex predictors
• Academic self-expectation best predictor of
  school success (Wigfield)
• Selfefficacy and internal locus of control the
  strongest predictors of school success after
  abilituies (Pajaros i Miller Zimmerman i
  Bandura Bandura)

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Teacher/student interactions - flip side

• Lack of praise and awards
• Disregard
• Students struggle for getting motivated to
  accomplish non-challenging tasks
• Teachers expectations uninformed
• Loss of possibility to gain complex learning
  outcomes

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Conclusions
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Conclusion 1. Learning still a rare event
Attended ... Listened ... Heard ... Understood
... Remembered ... Will apply ...
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Conclusion 2 Need to strengthen policy-research
connections
International instruments fostering research
Education

• Using existing
• research
• results

Developmental priorities transparent
Education research in other countries
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Conclusion 3 What do we need to do to strengthen
the path

• On policy-side

• On research-side

• Making the policy agenda transparent for
  researchers
• Policy debates national/SEE
• Best practice Clearinghouse

• Education research community in SEE
• Networking of research agencies
• Joint projects
• SEE education policy journal

Hope the Conference will elaborate further on this
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2025
SCHOOL
Social benefits
Personal benefits
regulated
teachers
textbooks
curriculum
equitable
financing
management
assessment evaluation
Research
participatory
Development Policies
efficient
accountable
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Thank you!