Relationship among educational research, information and policy-making: a case study of China

In 1997, in an effort to obtain a clearer picture of the relationship between research and policy-making in education, the International Bureau of Education (IBE) launched a series of national case studies on the processes involved in the use of educational information and research. The aim was to obtain the educational researchers' views on the impact of research outcomes on decision-making at the national level, and to learn how decision-makers perceive the role of information and research during policy formation.

This paper emphasises that strengthening links between research, policy-making and information are fundamental for continuing innovations and reforms to make education systems more responsive to societal and individual needs. Educational research in China is aimed at serving both policy decision-making and practices, and research findings are used by government as a tool in the policy-making process. In China, educational research has been an integral part of the education enterprise, developing strong, dynamic interactions with government policy makers at all levels and playing an important role in the process of educational reforms and development. This paper studies the interaction between education research, policy decision-making and information in China. It provides an overview of the state and circulation of information, a report on the uses of information in the process of educational policy-making in school curricular renewal, and an account of a significant research project implemented to inform national policy-makers involved in reforming the school evaluation and examination system.

This publication is indexed at TD/INT 61.525.

In 1997, in an effort to obtain a clearer picture of the relationship between research and policy-making in education, the International Bureau of Education (IBE) launched a series of national case studies on the processes involved in the use of educational information and research. The aim was to obtain the educational researchers' views on the impact of research outcomes on decision-making at the national level, and to learn how decision-makers perceive the role of information and research during policy formation.

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