Knowledge Use and School Improvement

ABSTRACT

Current state-initiated approaches to reforming education often ignore the accumulating research on knowledge utilization in schools. This article presents survey and case data from a study of knowledge use in United States schools which suggest that a combination of mandates and public pressure, and support for school-designed efforts to improve may be an effective alternative to top- down change. The findings point to several factors that help to determine whether available information will be used to promote changes in schools. These include the level of individual and organizational incentives that support knowledge use, the degree to which information is discussed and analyzed in group settings, the degree to which the knowledge is “real” and “useable” from the perspective of school-based educators, and the communication of the information either directly to the user, or to intermediaries who are known to communicate with the intended user. The article concludes that well-designed government-supported dissemination activities that focus on reaching schools rather than individuals may be one approach to capitalize on both internal and external pressures for school improvement.