When I first completed the Certificate in Evidence-Informed Practice through the Chartered College of Teaching, I hoped to deepen my understanding of educational research. What surprised me most,  however, was how it changed the way I thought about my own growth as a teacher,  how I worked with colleagues, and how I spoke about teaching itself.

Like many teachers, I was always eager to get better at what I do. I loved reading about teaching and chatting with others about how to help students learn. The course, however, pushed me beyond simply gathering ideas. It showed me how to really dig into research, find reliable sources, and reflect on what evidence-informed practice looks like in the real world of a school and classroom setting.

Most importantly, I realised that evidence-informed practice isn’t about blindly following trends or applying research uniformly. Instead, it’s about using research to guide our judgement as professionals.

What does it actually mean to be evidence-informed?

One of the most significant things I learned was the difference between ‘evidence-based’ and ‘evidence-informed’ practice. These terms are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same.

It is commonly understood that evidence-based practice is when teaching is entirely dictated by research. Evidence-informed practice, on the other hand, recognises that schools, teachers, and students are different. Research is vital, but so is our professional experience and the diverse needs of our students. As educators, we should engage with research and learn from those who have spent years studying ‘what works’.  However, not every strategy will work in every classroom, or with every group of students.

This idea was empowering. The course reminded me that teachers aren’t passive recipients of research; we’re professionals who can think critically, try new approaches, reflect honestly, and decide what works best for our own context.

Just as importantly, I learned it’s okay if something doesn’t work.

In education, there’s often pressure to get things right the first time and stick with them. Evidence-informed practice showed me that teaching is really a process of ongoing refinement, reflection, and adaptation.

How did I turn research into professional culture?

When I undertook the Certificate, I was working as  Lead Practitioner for Research and Development, leading CPD across a school in West London. The school invested in my completion of the Certificate, and gave me the time and space to put my learning into practice. Most importantly, it gave me the confidence and structure to rethink how professional learning could work in our context. 

We introduced a personalised CPD programme that allowed staff to choose development groups based on their interests. Keen to incorporate aspects of the Certificate, my CPD group was a book club where we read educational texts and openly discussed our takeaways on a variety of teaching and learning topics.

The conversations were never about blindly accepting every idea in a book. Instead, we encouraged criticality and  discussed:

• What had we tried?
• What worked?
• What did not work?
• What might we adapt?
• What would we keep or ditch?

These discussions became some of the most valuable professional conversations I’ve had; they were about reflection, not just following rules.

As part of the course, I understood that one of the main challenges of becoming more evidence-informed was time. Teachers simply do not have enough of it. To support colleagues with this, I also produced half-termly teaching and learning newsletters that included:

• summaries of whole-school teaching and learning priorities
• recommendations for books, blogs and websites
• conferences and CPD opportunities
• podcasts and articles
• staff reflections and case studies
• reviews from members of the book club

This meant that even if staff didn’t have time to read whole books, they could still engage with research and evidence that may be useful to them.

Over time, staff also began contributing short articles about strategies they had trialled themselves. We created a CPD library so teachers could easily borrow educational texts, helping to remove barriers related to accessibility and time constraints.

This reinforced another key lesson: if schools want staff to engage with research, it has to be manageable. Time is always tight, so professional learning should feel purposeful and accessible, not just another thing on a busy to-do list.

What began as a small book club eventually grew into a wider whole-school professional dialogue. We invited authors to join Q&A sessions with staff, creating opportunities for teachers to engage directly with the people behind the research and ideas they had been reading about.

Even for staff not directly involved, the conversations were happening. Research became visible, and professional dialogue became part of school life.

How did I bring evidence-informed practice into a new context?

When I relocated to Doha with my family, I had often heard that schools in the Middle East were perceived as less engaged with educational research and evidence-informed practice. I was determined to challenge that perception.

Soon after joining my current school, I suggested starting a teaching and learning book club. We began small and voluntary, with just a handful of teachers. We read together, discussed ideas, and reflected on practice just as I’d done before.

And slowly, it grew.

Teachers soon started talking about the sessions outside the club. More staff joined in. Eventually, professional reading and discussion became part of our wider whole-school CPD.

One of the most rewarding aspects has been aligning professional reading with whole-school priorities so research feels directly connected to classroom practice and school improvement.

For example:

• When we were focusing on feedback, we explored the work of Kate Jones.
• When developing classroom routines and lesson starts, we examined Doug Lemov and Teach Like a Champion.
• When reviewing curriculum thinking, we engaged with the work of Mary Myatt

We were also fortunate to host Q&A sessions with these authors, giving staff the opportunity to engage directly with experienced educators and researchers.

Staff feedback was overwhelmingly positive; these sessions made research feel real, practical, and collaborative, not just theoretical.

Working within an all-through school has also reinforced the importance of sharing evidence-informed practice across phases. If I come across something relevant for Early Years, Primary or Secondary colleagues, I make a point of passing it on. Some of the best professional learning happens when educators across different phases share perspectives and ideas.

Why does all this matter?

The most important thing I learned from the Certificate is that engaging with research shouldn’t feel exclusive or intimidating.

Teachers don’t need to become full-time researchers to be evidence-informed.

Sometimes it starts with reading an article, listening to a podcast on the way home, or just chatting with colleagues about whether an idea is worth implementing. Professional curiosity matters.

The course also reinforced something I feel strongly about: teachers should be trusted as professionals. We should be able to engage with research, trial new approaches, evaluate honestly, and decide what’s best for our students and school.

Not every strategy will work everywhere and that’s okay. The value lies in engaging, reflecting, and remaining willing to improve.

Final reflections

Looking back, the Certificate in Evidence-Informed Practice didn’t just introduce me to educational research, it fundamentally shaped how I think about professional development and school improvement.

It gave me the confidence to create spaces for professional dialogue, whether through book clubs, newsletters, CPD, or collaborative discussion. Above all, it reminded me that evidence-informed practice isn’t about chasing trends or quick fixes. It’s about staying open, reflective, and professionally curious.

Would I recommend the course? Absolutely.

For any teacher or school leader wanting to understand research more deeply, support meaningful CPD, or build a stronger culture of professional learning, it’s a great place to start.

Ultimately, evidence-informed practice isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about being willing to keep asking thoughtful questions.