Evidence use in higher education decision-making and policy: a scoping review of empirical studies from 2010 to 2022

Abstract

In this article, we review empirical studies on the use of evidence in higher education decision-making and policy from 2010 to 2022. In our scoping review, we identify 77 studies in English or German, of which 69 meet minimum quality standards. We map the current state of knowledge on the use of data and research evidence in higher education and research institutions, and higher education and research policy, using qualitative coding. The results depict a growing, US-dominated, research field characterised by a large variety of methodological approaches, influenced by heterogeneous sets of paradigms and shaped by professional publications. We compare studies on evidence use in higher education and research institutions, and higher education and research policy, and find conceptual and empirical differences regarding the studied dimensions of evidence use, the types of evidence taken into account, and factors influencing evidence use. Our review highlights the need for comparative organisational research on evidence use, further research on mechanisms and pathways of evidence uses and a closer linkage between concepts and empirical findings.