Policy, Practice, and Research: Examining Impact Across Different Contexts

1. Policy-Practice-Research Relationships Rachel Brooks, University of Surrey

2. Three differing contexts • Researcher, 1995-2000 • National Foundation of Educational Research • Independent research organisation • PhD student, 1998-2002 • Department of Sociology & Social Policy, University of Southampton • Academic, 2002-present • University of Surrey, Brunel University • Three departments: education, politics, sociology

3. Policy, Practice, Research • For each of three contexts, will consider: • Impact of policy on research • Largely related to funding mechanisms • Impact on both research topics and research practice • Impact of research on policy and practice • Practice of others, but also of self

4. NFER: impact of policy on research • Funding mechanisms • Top-slice from Local Government Association • Bids for contracts from government, charities etc. • Policy largely determined research topics • E.g. school effectiveness agenda • Also significant impact on research practice • Surveys – favoured by policymakers • Evaluations • Largely non-theoretical (and little opportunity to develop expertise)

5. NFER: impact of research on policy/practice • Considerable impact on educational policy and practice • E.g. evaluations: modifications of practice • E.g. highlighting areas in need of attention • But research also used very politically

6. PhD: impact of policy on research • Prompted largely by frustrations of contract research • Different funding mechanism (studentship) • Profound effect on research practice • More thorough analysis • Integration of theory • Stronger connections to extant literature • Organisational context of research also influential • More autonomy within HE – confidence to develop own ideas • Integration of teaching and research

7. PhD: impact of research on policy/practice • Impact of research on practice • Policy implications discussed in thesis (and subsequent publications) but no attempt to engage non-academics • Critique unlikely to have produced ‘palatable’ policy recommendations • But own practice (and impact of policy) affected future research agenda • ‘Student-parents’ project 2010-12

8. Academic: impact of policy on research • Funding context again significant • Considerable autonomy re research topics and methods • But greater constraints than as PhD student • Smaller projects harder to fund • Targets for number of publications and status of journals/book publishers • Targets for research income • Pressure to demonstrate non-academic impact • Complex position as sociologist of education • Critiquing neo-liberal pressures, and yet often having to(?) conform to them

9. Academic: impact of research on policy/practice • Emphasis placed on ‘knowledge transfer’ • And yet difficulty of engaging policymakers • Practical issues: time, interest, perceived relevance • When emphasis may be on policy critique or theoretical issue • Methodological differences – preference for quantitative research? • Political agenda

10. Academic: impact of research on practice • Research has also informed own practice to some extent • With own children: processes of school choice, perpetuation of middle class advantage, gender stereotyping • As school governor: level of expectations for pupils • At home and in workplace: particularly gender

11. Questions • How can we engage policymakers in meaningful dialogue? • What should the relationship between policymakers and researchers look like? • ‘Democratic mandate’ vs. ‘research evidence’ • How can we manage the tension between reading/producing critical research and working in a marketised, managerialist environment?