Learning Activity 1.3

According to the authors, evidence-based leadership is when leadership base their decisions on empirical research and evidence. In order to be considered “evidence”, research results must be collected from processes and experiments that include hypotheses, systematic and empirical methods, rigorous data analyses, and justifiable conclusions (Trybus, 2007, p. 5). The evidence also needs to be “accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or a panel of experts through a very rigorous scientific review” (Trybus, 2007, p. 5). Walshe and Rundall (2001) state that there are gaps between research and clinical practice and management (p. 430). As evidence-based leadership grows in popularity, the bottleneck in the transition towards this form of leadership lies in the attitude and ability of the leaders in an organization (Walshe & Rundall, 2001, p. 452). Since new evidence-based ideas and policies often differ from existing policies and procedures, it requires leaders and managers to encourage cultures of change and for decision-makers to have the ability and knowledge to take the recommendations given by the research and put them into practice (Walshe & Rundall, 2001, p. 437).

In my opinion, evidence-based leadership needs to be balanced with experience-based leadership. Trybus (2007) agrees that “judgment individuals acquire through experience is still a vital component to be considered” (p. 8). While evidence-based pedagogical theories are informative and often do outline best practices, adjustments to every theory must be made in order to accommodate the diversity of academic and cultural backgrounds of students in every classroom. For example, when I was completing my education degree, we were taught that studies show inquiry-based learning is the most effective learning process for students. While this may generally be true for most students, my practical experience in the classroom showed me that I needed to adjust it for my students. In my highly academic senior math courses, I found it to be true that inquiry learning was the most effective and captivating for my students. However, in some of my classes with struggling learners, inquiry-based learning was so out of reach that it left many of the students behind. In order to accommodate the learning abilities of some of the students who struggled with math, I needed to use a modified, guided form of inquiry-based learning. While evidence-based leadership encourages educators to continue to learn, develop, and refine their skills in the classroom, experienced-based leadership is also needed to accommodate the many different situations that evidence-based research simply cannot address completely.

References

Trybus, M. (2007). Understanding scientifically based research: A mandate or decision making tool? Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 73(4), 5-8.

Walshe, K. & Rundall, T.G. (2001). Evidence-based management: From theory to practice in health care. The Millbank Quarterly, 79(3), 429-457.