Research and pedagogy: What is “evidence-based education”?
The introduction of plain packaging to combat smoking and the development of the NutriScore nutrition label to help consumers better navigate food products are measures that were designed based on evidence-based public health research programs. This methodology—or “evidence-based practice”—has been in use in the medical field for more than three decades.
Sylvain Wagnon, University of Montpellier and Sihame Chkair, University of Montpellier
The World Health Organization has defined it as a key tool for generating new knowledge, evaluating the effects of new practices, and making decisions in the fields of public health and health care.
Based on so-called “evidence-based” data, these rigorous, experimental scientific studies produce evidence, thereby creating a pyramid—a hierarchy in which quantitative research is considered statistically more reliable than qualitative and collaborative research.
Is this type of research—based on comparative evaluations using quantitative and observable criteria—relevant in the field of education?
Measuring the Effectiveness of Educational Programs
Evidence-based practice is nothing new in education. The very idea of quantitative testing dates back to the early20th century, as seen in the work of psychologist Alfred Binet—the inventor of intelligence tests and a pioneer of the concept of the intelligence quotient—and Belgian educator Ovide Decroly, a leading figure in the “New Education” movement, who developed mental ability tests for students.
For the past decade or so, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has been advocating for evidence-based international standards. In France, the Scientific Council for National Education, established in 2018—following the example of similar institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and the Netherlands—recommends the development of quantitative, evidence-based scientific research. The stated goal of what is known as translational research is to enable research to have an immediate impact on teaching practices. By aiming to be scientific and indisputable, evidence-based research underpins the possibility of a direct transition from research to the classroom.
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Can a methodology alone be sufficient to define an effective practice or even a specific teaching method? One of the risks is turning evidence into dogma, creating a hierarchy among scientific studies, or even discrediting research that does not rely on evidence, such as applied or collaborative research. The very definition of evidence in education is tied to its purpose: it is about transforming teaching and, in particular, learning methods.
The evidence-based methodology aims to highlight “what works”—what is effective. Some researchers ask: Is effectiveness a goal worthy of education? Indeed, what do we mean by “effective”? Is it about shaping future citizens of a democratic society or future workers—and, if so, which ones? Is it about fostering individuals’ personal growth and well-being?
By incorporating the issue of effectiveness, the evidence-based methodology also raises the question of transforming teaching practices. But is having evidence of an educational program’s effectiveness enough to ensure it produces positive outcomes in the classroom? If we compare teaching to cooking a meal, it seems obvious that a recipe is necessary—which is what evidence promises to provide. However, the chef’s role is essential: their intuition, insights, experience, choice of ingredients, context, and timing are just as important as the recipe itself for the dish’s success!
Varying research frameworks to capture the complexity of situations
Nevertheless, an evidence-based methodology offers the possibility of rigorous, scientific research grounded in relevant and meaningful data sets. The transition from research to practice—from the laboratory to the classroom—is key to successfully integrating new teaching practices into a changing world. In France, evidence-based research is increasing on the potential integration of new practices such as outdoor learning, yoga, meditation, and the development of psychosocial skills.
For evidence to be truly illuminating, we cannot limit ourselves to analyzing measurable and quantifiable data. Education is a complex phenomenon that requires taking into account multiple factors related to context, environment, time management, student organization, physical spaces, and the mindsets of the various stakeholders—students, teachers, non-teaching adults, and parents.
Evidence is playing an increasingly important role in public education policy. It is one method among many that can provide tools to aid decision-making. Making scientific knowledge more accessible and enabling teachers—who are key to the success of such knowledge transfer—to internalize and integrate the findings of research and studies is essential to the successful transformation of education systems.
For our educational system to evolve, it needs reliable scientific research, regardless of the methodology chosen. The transition from research to classroom practice is never straightforward. Making teachers key participants in research and giving them the opportunity to shape it based on their experience opens up new avenues for gaining a better understanding of the educational process and helps address the many challenges facing education.
Sylvain Wagnon, Full Professor of Education, School of Education, University of Montpellier and Sihame Chkair, Ph.D. in Health Economics and Ph.D. candidate in Education, University of Montpellier
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