Educational research and school practice: unraveling a complex relationship from the perspective of management teams

Although the impact of educational research on improving teaching and learning processes in schools is recognised, the transfer of the results of scientific studies into educational practice is neither frequent nor always effective. Factors concerning the nature of the research, the organisational cultures of schools and the professional characteristics of teachers and school management teams seem to influence these processes. The aim of this study is to analyse the views of school leaders on the value and ways of using research in educational action. The results presented here are from a qualitative study involving 15 members of school management teams from six Spanish provinces. Information was collected through semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using a system of categories inductively developed and negotiated by the members of the research team. The results confirm the limited use of scientific knowledge in school practice, as well as some factors that facilitate or hinder it. The need for a change in the topics studied, the forms of research and the way in which the results are presented is underlined. It is also emphasised the key role that school management can play in bringing research closer to practice, offering support or establishing conditions which promote analysis and reflection on research, its meaning and the applicability of its results.