Navigating the educational marketplace with evidence of impact
As a department of the University of Oxford, improving educational outcomes is core to our mission. We’re dedicated to creating educational solutions that deliver real impact in the most effective way possible. We do this by blending impactful, proven learning design with our extensive educational experience and expertise globally to ensure that we develop products and services that will support teachers, move knowledge and learning forward, and deliver the best educational outcomes for all.
Imagine planning a journey to a new destination in your electric car, but it only has a limited amount of charge and it’s important to reach the destination as efficiently as possible. Just like a GPS helps with navigation to the right place and avoiding wrong turns, using minimal power and time, evidence of impact guides educators to the most effective educational resources, helping them allocate resources wisely.
“Evidence is crucial for budget approvals and to ensure that new investments will be effective, enhancing student outcomes and the overall learning experience at the school.”
– Contributor on the OUP UK and International Educational Research Forum
By evaluating the impact of our products and services, we can help educators in selecting the most impactful educational resources that meet their needs. We can also offer reassurance that our products and services continue to meet the high-quality standards that everyone expects.
Speaking about the importance of Oxford Impact’s work, Fathima Dada, Managing Director of our Education division, said: “With unprecedented changes in education and the world around us, we have seen an accelerated demand for evidence of what works and makes a real difference to teaching and learning. Oxford Impact has enabled us to work with thousands of educators across the globe to evaluate how Oxford products and services support teachers and have a positive impact on learning.”
It’s all in the research
In September 2024, for the third consecutive year, we conducted research through our UK and International Educational Research Forum in the form of two polls, to understand how important it is for schools to have evidence of impact when purchasing educational resources.
The findings were clear: educators overwhelmingly value evidence of impact, with 88% saying that having such evidence is important. This highlights the critical role that evidence is playing in the decision-making process. When investing in educational resources, schools are increasingly focusing on accountability and data-driven decisions.
Determining value for money
In the survey, 352 educators shared that they need the evidence to ensure resources are value for money (45%), to compare different products (39%), and assess how well they deliver against specific outcomes (37%), ensuring that resources are both cost-effective and impactful.
64% of respondents said their senior management needs evidence of impact to justify expenditure and allocate resources effectively. This is a growing trend over the last couple of years, in particular, which we have seen in our previous surveys. In the same way that a reliable GPS is needed for a road trip, evidence of impact is proving essential when trying to navigate funding decisions and budget approval from senior leadership teams.
“The evidence of impact is important and needs to be in place. Evidence of impact is essential when trying to get funding and budget approval from SLT.”
– Contributor on the OUP UK and International Educational Research Forum
Empowering educators
The survey showed that evidence of impact is not only crucial for senior management but also for educators themselves (43%) and heads of department (37%) so that they can make informed decisions about the resources they use, ensuring they are going to be effective and beneficial for their students.
When seeking sources of evidence, 49% of educators identified efficacy or impact studies as the most credible, marking a significant increase from our 2023 survey and underscoring the importance of reliable information. Additionally, case studies (30%) and reviews (28%) play important roles. This preference for rigorous, data-driven studies indicates that educators want more reliable methods of evaluation.
“Evidence of impact is essential in making decisions about purchasing educational resources. Our school looks for reliable data, such as research findings that show the impact of materials on improving student achievement. Case studies from other schools are vital, providing a deeper understanding of how materials are being applied in different learning environments.”
– IB Coordinator, USA
With 91% of educators who took part in the research saying that evidence of impact is influential when purchasing educational resources, it highlights the critical role that trustworthy impact data plays in making smart, accountable, and effective decisions. Just like the GPS that navigates efficiently and reliably to the destination, credible evidence ensures that educational investments lead to successful educational outcomes.
You can read the findings from this year’s Evidence of Impact research through our infographic and summary report, or visit Oxford Impact to discover more.
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