Further exploring the rationality of evidence-informed practice: a semiotic analysis of the perspectives of a school federation

This paper examines the rationality of evidence-informed practice (EIP) It presents pre intervention empirical evidence to provide an indication of what might facilitate more effective research-to-practice connections. The analysis is framed by two theoretical perspectives: 1) optimal rationality, and 2) semiotics. These perspectives are used to explore what evidence-use means to teachers, why they do or do not seek to use evidence to improve teaching and how these positions might be shifted in favour of more evidence informed approaches. Interviews were conducted with 15 teachers (the entirety of the teaching staff). Findings suggest that teachers need practical experience of EIP to engage with it, but they also need encouragement and support in relation to networked collaboration if EIP is to move out of individual classrooms and become a cultural norm at the level of the school/federation.