ABSTRACT
The quality of the relationship between research and decision-making varies widely from one country to another. In favourable circumstances, research can establish a sound data-base which policy-makers can use to inform their decisions regarding the need for specific educational reforms or curricular innovations. Positive instances of this kind were cited by several countries. In less favourable circumstances, educational reforms may be introduced without prior research or experimentation, but may then be carefully monitored and evaluated, once they are in place. In the worst set of circumstances, changes may be imposed on the educational system arbitrarily, for political reasons, with no prior involvement of either the research community or the teaching profession. Researchers should seek ways, other than that of the traditional end-of-project research report, of publicising their findings. Possibilities include newsletters addressed to teachers, videos, presentations at teachers’ centres, etc.
