The Evidence Institute builds on previous work in educational research and data analysis undertaken by The Association of Independent Schools of NSW.

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. The Institute maintains a central focus on building evidence in support of independent school students, families, teachers and educational leaders, and consider areas impacting education in the future.

What we offer

The Evidence Institute undertakes a range of activities to support the work of AISNSW member schools, inform and lead conversations within the broader education community, and connect to the work of other industries.

• Undertake and commission research – independently and through partnerships for mutual benefit and the betterment of education
• Support targeted implementation – through initiatives and publications designed to minimise the research to practice gap
• Enable research in schools – through support for educators undertaking school based research
• Support school and sector insights – through rigorous collection and analysis of data
• Build research skills and communities – through research focused professional learning opportunities, fostering collaboration and networking
  
  

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.

Support targeted implementation

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.

Enable research in schools

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.

School Based Research Projects

Each year member schools in NSW are invited to apply for funding and support to conduct a two year School Based Research Project. Successful projects are awarded in areas of education which ultimately impact student outcomes and make substantial contributions to new insights in and beyond individual schools. These Projects aim to build research capacity and cultures of research engagement in practicing teachers and/or school leaders in the independent sector.

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 when they seek to engage independent schools in their projects, as well as supporting independent schools that are interested in engaging with external research.

Research to Practice

Using the innovative Spiral of Inquiry, a disciplined and evidence-informed framework for collaborative professional inquiry, Research to Practice is designed to bridge the gap between research findings and what is happening in the classroom in order to optimise learning outcomes for students.

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:

• Perspectives: Your school in focus suite of surveys
• Demographic analysis
• Sector and school level data analysis
• Resources to support the use data in the school context
• Publications
• Consultancies, courses and online learning.

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 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
• What is educational data?

Two new targeted learning opportunities have been developed for 2020 focusing on practical tools to support educators using evidence to inform classroom practice.

• Evidence Informed Teaching: Bridging the Research to Practice Gap
• Using Data to Improve your Practice