Building bridges in place of barriers between school practitioners and researchers: on the role of embedded intermediaries in promoting evidence-based policy

Abstract

Background: The literature on evidence-based policy in education offers insight into the need to form partnerships between researchers and practitioners with particular attention to the role of intermediaries. However, the operationalisation of the partnership, especially in school violence prevention, the focal policy of this research, remains unclear. Objectives: To identify potential intermediaries and explore their role in forming an evidence-based school violence prevention policy. Method: In-depth interviews with headteachers and members of school executive teams in Israel. Findings: The participants discussed three types of possible intermediaries that could facilitate a relationship between researchers and practitioners – internal inspectors, school counsellors, and external academics. Discussion and conclusions: We concluded that embedded intermediaries are needed to form a bridge between practice and research in the area of school violence prevention. These embedded intermediaries ought to have expertise in research methods, as well as expertise in an educational subject matter, and must be committed to the scientific approach rather than to political or organisational agendas. The formation of the research partnership must be inclusive and marked by the involvement of middle-rank policymakers (for example, headteachers) in the selection of the research questions and methodology and in the implementation of policy implications. Otherwise, evidence-based policy is unlikely to take root.