‘Research Use’ in Education: Conceptualising the Teaching Profession Within the Policy–Research–Practice Nexus

Abstract In this chapter, we examine ‘research use’ as a concept that informs the role of the teaching profession in the policy–research–practice nexus. As a policy construct, research use has gained significant attention over the past decade. However, the concept and particularly its translation to practice are often left undefined, both regarding the meaning of ‘research’ and of ‘use’. In this chapter, we examine how the specification of these terms contributes to producing particular manifestations of the policy–research–practice nexus. We pursue two lines of argument. The first line of argument is that the approaches to defining, operationalising, and discussing research use have implications for the construction of the policy–research–practice nexus. The second line of argument is that the characteristics of this nexus will inform the understanding of the role of the profession in simultaneously relating to education policy, researchers, and the development of professional practice. Finally, we present an analytical framework that aims to advance a multidimensional approach to studies on research use, which provides opportunities for developing more profession-sensitive understandings of research use. The framework also facilitates analytically unpacking relations between policy, research, and practice.