Does the medium matter for educators' understanding of systematic reviews?

Article type
Authors
Hanratty J1, Miller S1
1Queens University Belfast
Abstract
Background: Educators need to understand evidence in order to make informed decisions about what programmes, tools and interventions they will use in their schools and individual classrooms.

Objectives: We wanted to know how well educators are equipped to understand evidence from systematic reviews relevant to their school and/or classroom practice and whether the way in which the information is presented makes a difference.

Methods: Educators including principals, teachers and trainee teachers were randomly presented with one of three summaries of a systematic review on an area of interest to them. The summaries were either a blog, a plain-language summary or the review abstract. Educators then answered questions about their understanding of the review findings and whether the review would influence their practice.

Results: The study is in process.

Conclusions: The study is in process.