Strategic Forum for Research in Education

Challenges for knowledge management systems in education for contemporary democracies

The SFRE adresses a series of questions over an initial cycle.  These are tackled in three Forum events (Autumn 2008, Summer 2009, Spring 2010) and through post-Forum reports.  The resources collated for the Forum events and the reports from the events progressively provide an analysis of the UK education system.  These will be complemented by a final, synoptic report.  It is hoped that such deliberations will contribute to constructive developments in education knowledge management systems within the UK.

The work of SFRE is structured by a template of questions. This has been developed from the assessments of national systems conducted by OECD CERI from 2000-06. At the heart of the template is the view that the three major forms of research (basic, applied and developmental) are complementary and necessary in an effective contemporary system. The sections are:

• Contextual issues
• Strategic awareness
• Basic research
• Applied research
• Development and professional enquiry
• Generic issues

The SFRE Planning Group has adapted this template to specifically meet the circumstances of the SFRE.  Questions to be addressed are thus:

Forum I

Contextual Issues

1. What is the political, economic, social and cultural context of the country?

2. What are the country’s aspirations and strategies for educational development?

3. What are the major contemporary challenges to educational R&D?

4. What is the nature of existing educational R&D? [eg: disciplinary traditions; theoretical frameworks; substantive foci; methodological range; sectoral foci; geographical and institutional distribution; indicators of quality]

5. Is there adequate funding for educational R&D?

Strategic Awareness

6. What is the extent and quality of the country’s knowledge about its own current educational system?

7. Is there a national policy or strategy for educational R&D, with clear understandings of what counts as basic and applied research and of what counts as forms of development by practitioners and others?

Generic Issues

8. What quality assurance and accountability procedures are in place for educational research and development?

9. What capacity is available to support the development of educational research capacity?

Forum II

Strategic Awareness

10. How committed are key stakeholders to a national system for managing the production and use of educational evidence and knowledge?

Basic Research

11. Is there appropriate provision and incentivisation for the production of high quality and innovative basic research?

12. How is interdisciplinary research supported?

Applied Research

13. Is there appropriate provision and incentivisation for the production of high quality and relevant applied research?

14. How are researchers, policy-makers, practitioners and other appropriate stakeholders engaged in the identification, development, application and evaluation of national priorities for applied research and for development?

Development and Professional Enquiry

15. Is there appropriate provision and incentivisation for the production of high quality and relevant development work, professional enquiry and improvement?

16. How is appropriate knowledge derived from basic, applied and developmental work embedded in provision for the education and training of pedagogic practitioners?

Forum III

Strategic Awareness

17. What provision is there for the accumulation and organisation of existing educational knowledge (basic, applied and developmental) within the country?

Generic Issues

18. How are the country’s various research and development activities distributed, networked and coordinated internally?

19. How is the country’s research and development work linked to appropriate international networks, centres and activities?

20. What provision is there for communication and dissemination of research findings to stakeholders, including the general public and democratic process – and how effective is this?