Educational research’s influence on educational policy: A lens through the Namibian secondary school mathematics curriculum

Abstract

There is a growing demand to strengthen the link between research and educational policies such as curriculum policies to provide evidence-informed decisions and enhance the quality of teaching and learning content. Through the microscopic lens of the mathematics curriculum, this study explored the extent to which educational research shapes Mathematics curriculum policy decisions. Through the Policy of Convergence as an analytical frame, the adopted a single-embedded case study design. In addition to conducting a document analysis, the data were triangulated by sampling Mathematics curriculum policymaker at the curriculum development institute and curriculum researcher at a premier institution of higher learning. These participants were purposively selected since they led Mathematics curriculum development activities in the country for more than a decade. The first set of data were collected by analysing the mathematics national curriculum policy documents to determine the visibility of research referencing. Second, a questionnaire was used to obtain perspectives of Mathematics curriculum policymaker and curriculum researcher on the accessibility, and relevance of research, challenges, and collaboration between educational researchers and practitioners, and to suggest measures for ensuring evidence-informed Mathematics curriculum policies. The findings revealed limited collaboration between researchers, curriculum policymakers, and decision-makers primarily due to inadequate communication platforms and differing interests. Based on the findings, there is a great need for improved collaboration between educational researchers and potential research findings users. The study recommends creation of regular platforms such as forums and national subject specific conferences to facilitate collaboration and improve the accessibility and timeliness of research findings. The conclusions of this study offer researchers and policymakers insights to consider value-addition and constraints afforded by research data to enhance the link between educational research and practitioners.