ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book looks at the potential for research-use by educators to improve schools for all young people. It aims to expand the analysis of evidence- and research-informed practice, considering the wider environment within which it is undertaken. The book shows that the interplay and tensions between aspects of the ecosystem and to illustrate how different aspects of the ecosystem affect evidence use. It also aims to reconcile all aspects of the ecosystem within an overarching framework which attempts to explain the complex totality of the ecosystem. The book suggests that for a research-use ecosystem to be optimal, examines its many levels of scale and the numerous interconnections that occur amongst the people and institutions that inhabit it. It also looks at a knowledge network for schools in Canada and then the accountability systems surrounding the schools.
