Researchers and policymakers’ perception on research ... · makers with a role in educational bodies at a national and local level 13 ... institutions with social and economic role:

Researchers and policymakers’ perception on research mobilization in education in Romania

Carmen Proteasa - University of Bucharest (presenting author)

Simona Iftimescu - University of Bucharest (presenting author)

Elena Marin - University of Bucharest

Georgeta Ion – Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona

Romiță Iucu - University of Bucharest

Mihaela Stîngu- University of Bucharest

ECER 2016 Leading Education: The Distinct Contributions of Educational Research and Researchers

22 – 26 August 2016

Project title: TOWARDS EVIDENCE -BASED POLICY MAKING IN EDUCATION.Mechanisms for knowledge mobilisationand research brokering in education

(acronym: )

Funded by the Romanian NationalAuthority for Scientific Research andInnovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI (ID:PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-1605)

Implemented at: Centre for Developmentand Training in Higher Education -University of Bucharest (2015-2017)

Research objectives

Identify and analyse the perception of policymakers on:

Partnership in

knowledge mobilization

Use of educational research on

decision making process

Roles of researchers

and policymakers

(Coburn & Talbert, 2006; Hess, 2008; Levin & Edelstein, 2010; Cherney, Povey, Head,

Boreham, & Ferguson, 2012; Bell, Cordingley, Isham, & Davis, 2010; Levin, 2011; Ion and

Iucu, 2015)

Often fails to meet the decision-makers’ needs

Research is considered to have a small

impact in society

Misalingment between

stakeholders and

researchers

Lack of funding

Different priorities and perceptions

Lack of communication

Lack of traning of researchersregarding the

transfer of knowledge

Divergent modes of

professional discourse

“Research will not have impact

unless potential users are interested enough to look for it and able to

make use of what they find. (Ben Levin, 2014 - Making Research Matter More)

Semi-structured in-

depth interview withpolicymakers

• experts in public policies

• decision makers

Content-analysis methods

• to analyze the data from the interviews

Maxqda 12software

• data processor used for in-depth interviews

Methods and instruments

Number of

participants

Members of national institutions responsible with education and decision-

makers with a role in educational bodies at a national and local level

13

Institutions

Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research

Public Policy Department within Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research

The Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Pre-university Education

The Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education

The Institute of Educational Sciences

The Romanian Presidential Administration (Education and Research Department)

The National Agency for Community Programs in the Field of Education and Vocational Training

The National Authority for Qualifications

The Bucharest Center for Educational Resources

The National Center for Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas

The Center for Educational Resources

The World Bank in Romania

Participants’ profile

Research productionUsing research in policy making process

Researchers’ role

Research production and activity

We looked at the following aspects:

Partnership in knowledge mobilizationNetworks’ of researchers

Main actors in mobilization

Intermediators’ role

Interaction process

Policymakers’ role

Policymakers’ needs

Research production/activity (I)

▷ important, but it is not considered representative, nor visible; poorly funded, unexploited,

▷ lack of alignment between researchers and the political agenda

(‘The electoral cycle does not match the life-cycle of a research project’, I7)

the governments’/ systems’ real needs(‘Not all the time what we consider to be a major research interest coincides with what was considered at the system level’, I3)

Research production/activity (II)

▷ public institutions are not used to work with and use research political approach

▷ it is consulted in order to justify/validate a decision which was already made

▷ It takes too much time to deliver a research (need to deliver fast) think-thanks mentioned as actors that deliver flexible research

Partnership in knowledge mobilization (I)

Normative descriptions (seen as desirable):

▷ ‘Everybody should make a step forward: policymakers, researchers and the managers of the universities’

▷ Extended networks with researchers and other relevant stakeholders

▷ Main actors involved: critics brought to some public institutions that could redesign their scope accordantly

▷ Intermediary actors: institutions with social and economic role: mass-media, political parties, business

actors, professional associations, unions institutions with research activity or funding institutions: universities, institutions with

Ph.D. programs, UEFICSDI, the Institute of Educational Sciences

Partnership in knowledge mobilization (II)

Reality check:

▷ Interaction process and partnership: almost inexistent

▷ Researchers are approached politically

▷ Lack of a culture of ‘evidence-based policy-making’ at a decisional level

▷ Lack of involvement of researchers or academia in correcting statements or misinformation made public

Intermediary actors’ role

- In translating the research results for public use and reading

- Involvement in advocacy processes to promote research results

Core characteristics

- Public recognition- Trust - Funded- Political independency- Instruments to approach

policymakers

Policymakers’ needs

▷ To have a list of research interests and themes from universities of Doctoral Schools

▷ Proactivity from researchers behalf in promoting research results

▷ Researchers’ involvement and availability in collaboration and communication processes

▷ A format of the research result that is easy to read and comprehend:- executive summary and policy recommendation- date sources- research objectives explained clearly

Roles perceived by policymakers, normative perception

Researchers - In promoting research

results

- In using a more accesible language

- In researching real societal needs

- In establishing connections with policymakers and end-users of research

Policymakers- In informing about the

research activity and production

- In assuring more visibility and transparency to the decision – making process

- In assuring continuity of a process (there is a high turnover)

- In investing more (time and funding) in impact analysis

Research production

Policymakers understand theimportance of research, butreality shows that there is areal need to approachresearchers other thanpoliticaly and considerresearch more than ajustification of alrealdy madedecisions.

Conclusions

Partnerships in knowledge mobilization

All actors need to engage in acollaboration process in order topromote and use research results.

In this moment, there is a lack ofinteraction between parts caused byinsuficient promotion of researchactivity and lack of transparency indecision making process and in researchinterests and themes from universitiesside.

Intermediary entities are recognized asa factor that could engage in transfer ofresults into policy.

Roles

Researchers – engage more intransfer and promotion ofresearch results.

Policymarkers – getting to knowbetter the research production ineducational field.

Researchers and policymakers’ perception on research mobilization in education in Romania

Carmen Proteasa

University of Bucharest

[email protected]

ECER 2016 Leading Education: The Distinct Contributions of Educational Research and Researchers

22 – 26 August 2016

Simona Iftimescu

University of Bucharest

[email protected]