What if… we really wanted evidence-informed practice in the classroom?

There's been a big push to get classroom practice shaped by evidence of 'what works'. This has been largely inspired by advances in healthcare, where the use of research trials and national guidelines to improve patient care and outcomes is more established. This approach has not gone uncontested in education (or health) and 'evidence-informed practice' is still to be firmly embedded across all schools. Why is this, and do we even have a shared understanding of what we're aiming for when it comes to teachers' engagement with and use of research? In this debate we heard from leading commentators about whether, in their view, this is the correct agenda for education and, if so, what evidence-informed practice should look like and the steps needed to realise that vision across all schools.