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The
idea of a policy framework became much clearer to me in this course. I
had taken EDUC 875 before taking this course—which was out of
sequence with the policy track—and I remember leaving that course
feeling a little empty. Taking the EDUC 870 course filled me with what
I needed to more fully understand EDUC 875. I learned about several
types of policy frameworks. I became more engaged in honing in on
research interests. I even had a “moment of awakening”
where I realized that research and policy go hand in hand. I had always
viewed them as distinct until I realized that in order for research to
have any impact, the results must inform and shape policies and
programs, and be adopted into practice. For this to occur, however,
researchers have to attract the interest of policymakers and
practitioners, convince them that a new policy or different approach is
valuable, and foster the changes necessary to put them into practice.
What I have taken away from the course—aside from a deeper understanding of education policy issues from the course readings—is that engaging with policy requires more than just research skills. If I want to be good policy leader and researcher, I also need to synthesize simple, compelling stories from the results of my research. I need to be a good networker to work effectively with all the other stakeholders involved in the process, a good engineer to build programs that can generate convincing evidence at the right time, and political entrepreneurs who know how to reach decision-makers. Or, at the very least, I need to work in multidisciplinary teams with others who have these skills. Click here for EDUC 870 Artifact Crtique of policy article |