Using Evidence in Legal, Social and Educational Matters

This interdisciplinary book examines the complex meanings of evidence and its relationship to knowledge, learning and educational research. It explores key debates in education, questioning who controls evidence and how power shapes its use. A thought-provoking read for researchers, postgraduate students and education professionals.

Evidence as a concept is central to our understanding of the world and the way in which we establish or verify the truth or otherwise of a statement, assertion or proposition. This interdisciplinary book focuses on the multiple and sometimes complex meanings that can be attached to the idea of evidence and its relationship to knowledge, learning and educational research.

By exploring some of the key issues in the field of educational research, this title allows the reader to understand what evidence is and why it is important while also questioning the gatekeepers of evidence and the power they have in terms of use and control. Chapters unpack the ways that several prominent organisations use evidence in their work, including the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the BBC, among others.

A thought-provoking analysis of the field, this is an essential read for all those looking to develop an understanding of evidence and the ways it can be used in educational settings as well as researchers and postgraduate students in the field of educational research.