Using Research for School Improvement: The LEA's role
01 June 2003
This research formed part of the Local Government Association's Educational Research Programme. This report focuses mainly on eight LEA case studies, which aimed to identify examples of good practice. Our primary audience is representatives from LEAs, but we hope that other educational practitioners and researchers will find the study both interesting and useful.
The main purpose of this research project was to provide LEAs with information on good practice in the use of research to support school improvement.
The research objectives, which provide the focus for the report, are:
- to establish what role the LEA plays in facilitating the use of research for school improvement, in the context of specific projects or programmes initiated and/or supported by LEAs
- to provide examples of good practice in the use of research for school improvement
- to identify the strategies adopted by authorities in collaboration with schools, universities and other organisations that lead to the effective use of research findings for school improvement
- to identify the barriers to the use of research findings
- to examine the ways in which LEAs have addressed the barriers to research use.