Effective knowledge management: the missing link between

educational research and policy

Dirk Van DammeHead of CERI, OECD/EDU

Outline

A. Some observationsin relation to CERI work on knowledge management in

education

1. Educational R&D2. Evidence in Education3. Knowledge as part of Systemic Innovation

B. A strategic view1. Improve the demand for knowledge2. Improve the supply of knowledge3. Improve the mediation between supply and

demand

C. Some questions for discussion2

SOME OBSERVATIONS

A.

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Educational R&D

• Striking findings that education, as a knowledge sector, has a very weak knowledge base itself…– Low levels of educational R&D (but difficulties

in finding a methodology for comparable data collection)

– Much lower than related public policy sectors such as health or social policy

• A weak empirical research capacity…– Especially for quantitative research

• And a weak link between research and policy

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Educational R&D

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Educational R&D

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Educational R&D

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Role of Evidence in Education

• The importance of (empirical) evidence in educational policy and practice is growing– Methodologically sound solutions found for

complex measurement issues in education– Comparative education indicators

• Moving from inputs to outputs and outcomes

– The PISA shock– The development of feedback systems, at

student, school and system levels• and has dramatically changed the policy

climate 8

Role of Evidence in Education

• Still important methodological issues and debates on what counts as (research) evidence– (quasi-)experimental design, randomised

control trials, …– Scientific ideal versus pragmatically

feasible– Cost and capacity problems– Ethical issues about educational

experimenting• Educational research in universities

facing severe quality issues 9

Role of Evidence in Education

• Research – Policy interaction probably is weakest link in the knowledge chain– Not a simple model of direct impact of

evidence on policy, but mediation by all stakeholders and actors in a complex system• The influence of knowledge on policy making

may in fact be strongest not when it comes directly from the educational research community in direct advice to policy makers but when it is filtered through actors such as print or broadcast media, lobbyists, popularisers, etc. (EU, 2007, p.5) 10

Role of Evidence in Education

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Knowledge and Systemic Innovation

• Knowledge management is part of a wider process of systemic change and innovation in educational systems– Identification of needs and change

objectives– Evidence-informed dialogue with

stakeholders– Implementation of change: piloting and

scaling– Evaluation of innovation

• Without a formalised and accessible knowledge base, education systems risk to loose important innovation opportunities

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Knowledge and Systemic Innovation

• Various forms of knowledge relevant (and competing!) for innovation in education:– Research knowledge– Professional/Practitioner knowledge– Administrative data– Tacit knowledge– …

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A STRATEGIC VIEW

B.

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Starting-point

• Effective knowledge management in education has not only to do with transmission and dissemination of knowledge

• But even more so with innovation at systemic level– Enhancing the demand for knowledge– Improving the supply of knowledge– Improving the mediation between supply

and demand– Fostering the effective use of knowledge

Teachers as knowledge workers

• Transform teachers into high-level professional knowledge workers– With a learning continuum from initial

teacher education into career-long professional development

– Reflexive action-researchers, building their own knowledge base

– Capable of dealing with research evidence– Performance-oriented support and

feedback systems tuned towards professional growth

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Schools as learning organisations

• Schools should become the most advanced learning organisations in modern society– Knowledge-intensive environments for

teachers to develop professional practice in teams

– Continuous development of knowledge and skills

– From command-and-control type of leadership to enhancing pedagogical leadership

– Open organisations with strong involvement of parents, local communities and external stakeholders

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Educational communities as networks

• Educational communities should become knowledge-sharing networks– Strong professional communities of

teachers and schools exchanging knowledge and developing professional knowledge

– Use of technology in networking and exchange

– Important role of knowledge brokerage

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Educational research

• Educational research should continue to improve in quality before trying to become more ‘relevant’– Relevance may have adverse effects on

quality– Collaborative international research

networks are critically important– New systems of planning educational

research are needed, cf Netherlands – There also is a huge need for navigation

tools in educational knowledge systems• Cf OECD’s GPS project 22

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

C.

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Competing knowledge?

• Could low effectiveness of knowledge management be the result of competing knowledge systems in education?– Empirical research evidence confronted

with established professional knowledge in teacher training and professional practice

– Is teachers’ pedagogical knowledge still ‘in tune’ with contemporary learning research?

– Is strong ethical consciousness in education and even ideological stance an impediment to the absorption of scientific evidence?

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Autonomy and knowledge?

• Is school and teacher autonomy a barrier to a more knowledge-intensive education system?– Effective knowledge management has a

serious impact on contemporary notions of governance in education

– Have we gone too far in school autonomy? And in seeing teachers as independent professionals?

– Knowledge-intensive learning organisations put a very high emphasis on exchange and networking, on collective knowledge development in flexible communities of practice

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Thank you !

dirk.vandamme@oecd.orgwww.oecd.org/edu/ceri

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