The existence of a gap between educational research and practice, resulting in research that makes only a limited contribution to the improvement of professional practices in education, has been a topic of much discussion. There is widespread agreement among researchers that practice in education should be informed by research evidence. At the…

This article explores the design, implementation, and evaluation of the Passports tool, developed to address the persistent challenge of bridging theoretical knowledge with practical application in Initial Teacher Education (ITE). Grounded in design-based research (DBR), the Passports were iteratively created to integrate academic and professional…

This special issue examines how relationships between research and policy in environmental and sustainability education (ESE) can be strengthened. Our contribution draws on three cases from outside the ESE space to analyse policymakers' perspectives on using evidence to inform decision-making, and to show that government-based policymakers develop…

There is concern that management and business research favours rigour and theory over relevance and practice. There are pressures from funding councils for researchers to show more impact. The paper shows how the bridge between the academic world and the world of practice can be served by action learning. Consideration is given to the difficulties…

Evidence-informed policy and practice has been a trend as part of an effort to increase the use of research to improve education at all levels. In many countries, knowledge-brokering initiatives were established to stimulate links between research, policy, and practice. Drawing on a mapping of initiatives in seven countries, this article describes…

Scholars and educators worldwide are grappling with the challenge of translating innovative research findings into tangible improvements within their classrooms. The chasm between theory and practice hinders the progress of education and leaves a wealth of untapped potential. The need for a process or approach to bridge these elements is urgent.…

There are many professional development programmes on offer for primary science. The best of these involve teachers in developing practice over time, alongside engaging with theory. In this article, the author considers how working as part of a professional learning community can support a collaborative and evidence informed approach to improving…

Improving the quality of teaching is of global concern: UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4c in the Education 2030: Framework for Action calls for high quality teaching for all. The OECD challenges the education system to improve Knowledge Management.JET's (2015) special issue: "Translational Research (TR) and Knowledge Mobilisation…

As a systemic approach to improving educational practice through research, "What Works" has come under repeated challenge from alternative approaches, most recently that of improvement science. While "What Works" remains a dominant paradigm for centralized knowledge-building efforts, there is need to understand why this…

This paper reports on a "proof-of-concept" for evidence-informed practice, whereby schools are provided with tailored support in accessing research evidence and help in implementing evidence-based approaches. Two aspects of intermediary brokerage are explored: (a) creating tailored summary materials for schools, based on education…

Despite a robust body of evidence of effectiveness of social programs, few evidence-based programs have been scaled for population-level improvement in social problems. Since 2010 the federal government has invested in evidence-based social policy by supporting a number of new evidence-based programs and grant initiatives. These initiatives…