The Evidence Institute believe we can enable an optimistic future by gathering and generating impactful evidence to support independent schools in providing excellent education opportunities.

The Institute has been established at a time when significant change and disruption are impacting a wide range of industries, including education. It recognises the importance of exploring the ways society understands the place of schools, teachers, and the role they play in shaping future generations.

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Enable evidence informed practice


Support school and sector insights


Build research skills and communities


Undertake and commission research


Meet the Evidence Institute

Growing and Nurturing Educators (GANE)

GANE is a three-year initiative that will develop innovative, evidence-based projects to grow and nurture Independent school educators.
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Growing Evidence Informed Practice

Growing Evidence Informed Practice brings together teachers and leaders across all career stages to learn, develop, and grow their understanding of using evidence, assessment and data.
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Perspectives

Perspectives is a whole school survey which enables schools to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement across a broad range of domains including School Environment, Teaching and Learning, Student Wellbeing, Leadership and Community.
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Latest News

Effective Mentoring: Developing Stronger Teachers and Future Leaders >

Mentoring can play a key role in the development of teachers and is particularly important when change is involved. This might include those in the early years of their career, taking on a leadership role for the first time, or becoming the principal of a school. 

Who are the best university contacts for teacher training? >

Professional experience in schools and classrooms by pre-service teachers is a mandatory and essential component of their training. Supporting them also gives existing teachers opportunities for higher accreditation levels.

Career Advice - Becoming a Teacher >

Schools and educators shape young minds and prepare them for their future. One effective way we can ensure the continuity of quality education is by encouraging students in independent schools to consider teaching as a rewarding career path.

Using Perspectives: Your School in Focus to Collect Rigorous Data >

Harnessing the power of data has become increasingly crucial for schools to make evidence-informed decisions and drive strategic directions. By utilising the Perspectives survey reports, schools have been able to navigate their way toward evidence-enriched practices.

Infographics

Data Informed Decision-Making Cycle

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What is Educational Data?

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Six Key Factors for Whole-school Wellbeing Success

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Assessment For, As and Of Learning

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Getting the Most out of Virtual Meetings

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  Enable Evidence Informed Practice

Engaging in and with research is an essential component of independent schooling, but research alone does not change practice. Educators recognise that effective implementation of research and evidence based approaches can positively impact student outcomes and help to reduce the research to practice gap. The Evidence Institute supports independent schools in this process through targeted initiatives and activities specifically designed to integrate high quality evidence based practices into authentic educational environments.

Grounding education in evidence informed practice is an essential feature of assuring and enhancing educational excellence. Initiatives are informed by a variety of frameworks and research methodologies including Spiral of Inquiry, Action Research and Design Thinking. The Evidence Institute provides opportunities for independent schools to undertake, access and utilise educational research.

Opportunities out of Remote Learning

Schools and educators continue to be faced with unprecedented challenges as remote learning, in varying degrees and for different students, becomes more prevalent practice due to COVID-19. The Evidence Institute continues to explore these challenges and their impacts on the future needs of educators as they adapt to different ways of meeting individual learners needs.

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Research Opportunities for Independent Schools

Working with researchers can be a powerful way to access relevant, context-specific, up to date evidence about a variety of educational topics of importance to your school. The Evidence Institute assists external researchers and independent schools in their research projects.


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   Support School and Sector Insights

Complex global and technological trends continue to impact the educational landscape. The Evidence Institute supports the collection and use of high quality evidence to empower schools as they navigate significant change.

The Institute offers a variety of services to support schools in their collection, analysis, interpretation and use of internal and external data for continuous school improvement. This includes:

The evidence based knowledge and insights gained through the activities of the Institute are designed to assist leaders in school planning, and classroom teachers to identify with precision their students’ strengths and opportunities. Support provided by the Institute will ultimately guide schools in improving student performance and pedagogical delivery.

  Build Research Skills and Communities

Connecting and engaging with similar or diverse perspectives can enhance thinking and provide new insights about information and areas of new knowledge. The Evidence Institute recognises the importance of developing research communities to support school leaders and teachers in their research. The Institute provides formal and informal opportunities to build these communities, support sustained engagement and bridge the research to practice gap.

The Evidence Institute offers a range of research-focused professional learning opportunities to support the development of research skills. These include face-to-face, online and blended programs and are designed to complement the suite of offerings provided by AISNSW. It also provides opportunities to showcase research conducted in independent school contexts, focusing on improving student, teacher and school outcomes. Together these help to create momentum to empower teachers and school leaders, both informing their practice and supporting sustainable change.

Online and blended courses available include:


Getting ready for robust research

Designing surveys that work

Conducting interviews and focus groups

Making your numerical data work

Moving beyond numbers: Using qualitative data

Growing Evidence Informed Practice

Being an Effective Mentor


Face to Face courses available include:


Getting to know your students through data

School Data: Telling the Story

Early Career Experience


   Events and Conferences:


AISNSW Education Research Symposium

Teaching School Learning Forum



 Undertake and Commission Research

The Evidence Institute undertakes and supports a range of research, independently, and through partnerships for mutual benefit, and the betterment of education. Commissioned research is undertaken with independent schools and organisations including universities, government and industry.

The Institute is committed to sharing the highest quality evidence from local, national and international research to help inform practice within the independent sector and beyond. Information is shared in a variety of ways to engage and support a wide range of stakeholders including teachers, school leaders, educational researchers, government and those across intersecting industries.

Strategic themes are identified through consultation with stakeholders and by monitoring the educational horizon. The Institute understands the evolving and diverse needs of the independent sector and seeks to support schools with evidence relevant to their diverse contexts.

School Based Research

From 2014 to 2022, AISNSW provided funding and support to 27 different schools for their school-based research projects. Five of these projects are still in progress – two will conclude at the end of this year, and the remaining three at the end of 2024. The Evidence Institute continues to build research capacity and cultures of research engagement in practicing teachers and/or school leaders in the independent sector through courses, consultancies and conferences but not through the provision of funds.
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Education Research Council

The AIS Education Research Council plays an important role in shaping the direction of The Evidence Institute. Established in 2014, the Council is made up of Heads from a variety of NSW independent schools, and has a mandate to investigate and support the research needs of independent schools in NSW.
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Meet The Evidence Institute

The Evidence Institute is staffed by a team of researchers and educators with a broad range of experience and expertise. They are committed to bridging the research to practice gap in the independent sector.
Meet the team