Research-informed practice improvements: exploring linkages between school district use of research evidence and educational outcomes over time

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 418-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn J. Heinrich ◽  
Annalee Good
Author(s):  
Susanne Heiwe ◽  
Eva Johansson ◽  
Kerstin Nilsson-Kajermo ◽  
Karin Säflund ◽  
Ann Ödlund Olin

Background: Education is a commonly used intervention in the development of evidence-based practice (EBP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of an educational intervention on healthcare professionals’ perceived skills in finding, reviewing, and using research evidence in clinical practice. A further aim was to identify potential determinants for the outcome.Methods and Findings: A three-day course in EBP was designed for registered nurses, medical social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and dieticians. The Developing Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (DEBP) questionnaire was administered before and six months after the intervention (N = 274). Non-parametric statistics were used. The results showed an overall effect on ability to find research evidence (p = .0005) and ability to review research evidence (p = .0005), whereas there was no overall effect on use of research evidence in clinical practice (p = .18). However, some subgroups showed a significant improvement over time, for example, those whose profession was nursing or midwifery and those who had experience using evidence-based practice prior to the educational intervention.Conclusions: The results showed that a three-day course in EBP improved the participants’ ability to find and review research evidence, but it did not have an overall effect on the use of research evidence in clinical practice.


2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (78) ◽  
pp. 101-114
Author(s):  
Harvey Goldstein

The paper explores some of the issues involved in evaluating educational policy initiatives. It gives examples of how research findings can be evaluated and draws lessons for the ways in which policymakers can interact usefully with researchers. It argues that while central government's use of research evidence is often highly selective and concerned with its own perceived short term interests, a broader view of the research process is more productive and beneficial. The issues of class size, school league tables and the effects of homework are studied in detail and the often provisional nature of research evidence is emphasised as well as the uncertainty surrounding the findings of individual studies.


Author(s):  
Zlata Kovacevic ◽  
Barbara Klimek ◽  
Iris Sharon Drower

While much has been achieved in this country to bring about equality for many groups, for refugees it has been a struggle. This chapter explores the state of refugee education in terms of definition and impact for children and families, including coordination constraints. It provides a program-model for working with refugee students and their families within a culturally responsive partnership at Washington Elementary School District, Arizona, USA. In addition, challenges are addressed leading to constant adapting, changing, and improving the program model over time based on the needs of the refugee students and their families.


Author(s):  
Alice Ireland ◽  
Nathaniel Payne

There is strong research evidence to suggest that exposure to violent video games is related to an increase in aggressive behaviors in children. Violent video games trigger short-term bursts of aggression, but more importantly they can actually change the user’s thinking processes over time. However, there is also strong evidence to the contrary. This chapter presents an overview of recent evidence for and against the argument on violent games and aggression, together with suggestions for ways that parents can help to mitigate negative effects.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Firas Khalid ◽  
John N. Lavis ◽  
Fadi El-Jardali ◽  
Meredith Vanstone

Abstract Background Humanitarian action in crisis zones is fraught with many challenges, including lack of timely and accessible research evidence to inform decision-making about humanitarian interventions. Evidence websites have the potential to address this challenge. Evidence Aid is the only evidence website designed for crisis zones that focuses on providing research evidence in the form of systematic reviews. The objective of this study is to explore stakeholders’ views of Evidence Aid, contributing further to our understanding of the use of research evidence in decision-making in crisis zones. Methods We designed a qualitative user-testing study to collect interview data from stakeholders about their impressions of Evidence Aid. Eligible stakeholders included those with and without previous experience of Evidence Aid. All participants were either currently working or have worked within the last year in a crisis zone. Participants were asked to perform the same user experience-related tasks and answer questions about this experience and their knowledge needs. Data were analysed using a deductive framework analysis approach drawing on Morville’s seven facets of the user experience — findability, usability, usefulness, desirability, accessibility, credibility and value. Results A total of 31 interviews were completed with senior decision-makers (n = 8), advisors (n = 7), field managers (n = 7), analysts/researchers (n = 5) and healthcare providers (n = 4). Participant self-reported knowledge needs varied depending on their role. Overall, participants did not identify any ‘major’ problems (highest order) and identified only two ‘big’ problems (second highest order) with using the Evidence Aid website, namely the lack of a search engine on the home page and that some full-text articles linked to/from the site require a payment. Participants identified seven specific suggestions about how to improve Evidence Aid, many of which can also be applied to other evidence websites. Conclusions Stakeholders in crisis zones found Evidence Aid to be useful, accessible and credible. However, they experienced some problems with the lack of a search engine on the home page and the requirement for payment for some full-text articles linked to/from the site.


Gut ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 256-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
E J Bennett ◽  
C C Tennant ◽  
C Piesse ◽  
C-A Badcock ◽  
J E Kellow

Background—Life stress contributes to symptom onset and exacerbation in the majority of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia (FD); research evidence is conflicting, however, as to the strength of these effects.Aims—To test prospectively the relation of chronic life stress threat to subsequent symptom intensity over time.Patients—One hundred and seventeen consecutive outpatients satisfying the modified Rome criteria for IBS (66% with one or more concurrent FD syndromes) participated.Methods—The life stress and symptom intensity measures were determined from interview data collected independently at entry, and at six and 16 months; these measures assessed the potency of chronic life stress threat during the prior six months or more, and the severity and frequency of IBS and FD symptoms during the following two weeks.Results—Chronic life stress threat was a powerful predictor of subsequent symptom intensity, explaining 97% of the variance on this measure over 16 months. No patient exposed to even one chronic highly threatening stressor improved clinically (by 50%) over the 16 months; all patients who improved did so in the absence of such a stressor.Conclusion—The level of chronic life stress threat predicts the clinical outcome in most patients with IBS/FD.


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