ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the research-practice gap from the other side of the fence, through an analysis of how universities perceive the impact of educational research on practice. From some perspectives, university tutors seem out of touch with the reality of schools; they can seem to deal in ‘theory’ that ‘just isn’t practical’ and they can appear only interested in justifying hypotheses. At the same time, universities employ ‘people who know what they’re talking about’ and they have ‘academic clout’. School-university partnerships can benefit schools, even when the research is planned and carried out by a university. However, there were some signs in our data that these links are becoming harder to establish. For example, one research coordinator had been trying to interest local universities in a school-university partnership, but with limited success. A university department’s research strategy is likely to include all its staff. However, it might exclude certain people: early-career researchers, or those staff who are ex-teachers.
