Evidence-informed practice in educational psychology: The nature and uses of the evidence

This chapter begins by considering the differing types of evidence that can be used to support practitioners seeking to inform their practice with evidence, as raised in Chapter 1. The journey from evidence to practice (and practice to evidence) will lead us to consider the varying methods used in the evidence bases for applied educational psychology, and to touch on different paradigms of knowledge. Some of the considerations for controlled evidence in educational psychology are explored, leading to a particular focus on single-case experimental designs, and how EPs can be involved in generating practice-based evidence. The growth of qualitative approaches and the way in which they may illuminate questions faced by EPs are then addressed. Turning specifically to evidence-based practice, the chapter reviews a number of challenges to the notion, particularly as they relate to applied psychology. A distinction is drawn between the evidence available through controlled methods on the one hand and exploratory qualitative methods on the other, and between the extent to which researchers wish to understand the effects of an intervention versus the mechanisms of change, or its implementation, or indeed altogether more exploratory questions to help understand the contexts where professional practice is located. The implications for evidence-informed approaches and for implementation science are considered. The chapter offers this overview of methodological issues in research evidence in order to assist with critical evaluation of some of the evidence presented later in this volume, and of the research-based issues within educational psychology.