ABSTRACT
In Chapter 2 the difficulties of using EER to improve policy and practice were illustrated. One of the aims of establishing the dynamic model is to establish better links between EER and policy-making. This chapter is concerned with possible ways of using the dynamic model for improving educational policy. These include the development of an evidence-based model for building educational policy. Obviously, this approach will only be adopted by policy-makers if they share the value assumptions of the dynamic model, and especially its interest in improving teaching and learning. The fact that policy-makers may not be interested only in the improvement of teaching and learning should be acknowledged. However, this should not be seen as an obstacle in using the model to improve policy, especially if policy-makers can see the benefits to society of improving teaching and learning. In the past, policy-makers in most countries attempted to improve standards using procedures that are not scientifically valid. For example, accountability systems were simply based on the fact that there are more and less effective schools and on the view that exercising pressure on the less effective schools will help them to improve standards. However, this assumption was never tested and it is not supported by any of the theoretical models of educational effectiveness. Misuse of findings of effectiveness studies by policy-makers was seen as the failure of EER, but what is supported here is that results of a study cannot be used for building policy unless their relation with the theoretical framework upon which the study is based is also examined. For example, results of an evaluation of a reform which indicates that the reform has no impact on student achievement may not necessarily imply that the reform should be terminated, but might provide feedback on how the reform policy could be improved. But in order for such suggestions to be provided, a valid model that explains what makes teachers and schools effective should exist. It is therefore supported that the development and testing of the dynamic model might help policy-makers identify priorities for building policy on improvement. For example, a study investigating the effect size of different aspects of quality of teaching upon student achievement may reveal what the main concerns of policy-makers on a national policy on quality of teaching should be. Similarly,
a study on the direct and/or indirect effect of effectiveness factors on student achievement might reveal the implications of a policy intervention for the functioning of any effectiveness factor and, ultimately, for student outcomes. However, limitations for using EER for the development of educational policy are, first of all, acknowledged. Thus, the first section of this chapter will refer to the political dimension of introducing a reform policy in education which helps us identify difficulties of using research and education theory for building policy.
