The European Educational Researcher

Beyond applicability: Rethinking how educational research serves practice

Patrice Potvin 1 2 3 *
1 Université du Québec à Montréal2 Équipe de recherche en éducation scientifique et technologique3 Partenariat pour le développement et la réussite de la formation scientifique au secondaire* Corresponding Author
Download PDF
The European Educational Researcher, Volume 9, Issue 1, February 2026, pp. 1-6
OPEN ACCESS VIEWS: 52 DOWNLOADS: 11 Publication date: 15 Feb 2026
ABSTRACT
Educational research is increasingly expected to demonstrate value for practice, yet what such value actually entails remains under-specified. This editorial argues that the challenge lies less in a research–practice “gap” than in the absence of clear, shared criteria for judging practical relevance. It examines how practical value is often narrowly equated with actionability or prescription, overlooking other legitimate forms of contribution. Drawing on research utilization literature and a conception of practice as professional judgment under conditions of uncertainty, the article proposes a plural understanding of how research may serve practice. It invites greater reflexivity in editorial evaluation by articulating guiding questions that clarify intended practical contributions, conditions of appropriation, and implicit costs for practitioners, without imposing reductive standards.
KEYWORDS
Research–practice relations, Practical relevance, Professional judgment, Editorial evaluation
CITATION (APA)
Potvin, P. (2026). Beyond applicability: Rethinking how educational research serves practice. The European Educational Researcher, 9(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.31757/euer.911
REFERENCES
  1. Biesta, G. (2007). Why "what works" won't work: evidence-based practice and the democratic deficit in educational research. Educational Theory, 57(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-5446.2006.00241.x
  2. Levin, B. (2013). To know is not enough: research knowledge and its use. Review of Education, 1(1), 2-31. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3001
  3. Lindblom, C., E., & Cohen, D. K. (1979). Usable knowledge: Social science and social problem solving. Yale University Press, New Haven (USA)..
  4. Potvin, P., Boissard, B., Durocher, É., Hasni, A., & Riopel, M. (2024). Empowering professional learning communities of secondary science teachers to uncover and address their students’ misconceptions via research-oriented practices [Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy]. Frontiers in Education, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1419714
  5. Weiss, C. H. (1986). The many meanings of research utilization. In Social science and social policy. Routledge, London (UK).
LICENSE
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.