Is Evidence-Based Practice Appropriate In Education?

Abstract or Introduction

Over the past few decades, educational transformation seems to have assumed a new dimension with evidence-based practice being at the core of this transformation. Currently, different countries have designed educational policies to incline the educational profession into evidence-based approach as it has been in the field of medicine. However, this issue encompasses immense controversy among policy makers and educators, as well as within educational research community. This controversy has emerged due to matters related to the significance of educational research in several aspects. First, educational research has been observed to be inadequate in developing a reliable educational knowledge that can be used by educational institutions and governments to develop appropriate educational policy. Secondly, educational research has been reported to be noncumulative and fragmented with numerous methodological faults. Thirdly, evidence-based practice in education is claimed to exhibit political dimensions. Finally, educational research encompasses ambiguity in definition. These are the issues in evidence-based practice that compromise its relevance and quality. On the other hand, it is apparent that there is a culture gulf between the precepts of research and the teaching profession. In this research paper, I will carry out a comprehensive literature review to answer the question; is evidence-based practice appropriate in education? To accomplish this, this research will present issues raised by evidence-based education. In addition, it will provide a critical analysis of the key models involved to demonstrate the culture gulf between the teaching profession and evidence-based practice.