School and system improvement
Publication Date
3-17-2026
Subjects
Behaviour change, Change management, Educational improvement, Literature reviews, Policy implementation, School systems, Systematic reviews
Abstract
This report outlines strategies that education system leaders can use to support the adoption of evidence-based teaching practices within schools, recognising the importance of teaching quality to lift student outcomes. It is based on an adapted systematic review of available evidence conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for and in collaboration with the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). The report begins by identifying considerations or approaches that system leaders can apply to selecting strategies to support schools, to ensure that they are culturally reflexive, aware of contextual enablers and barriers, and aligned with the approaches evident in highperforming education systems. It then presents strategies that system leaders can use, organised thematically in line with the COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity and Motivation = Behaviour change). The COM-B model is a trusted behavioural insights framework for helping system leaders understand how they can influence practice, focusing on schools as the key site of behaviour change.
Recommended Citation
Medhurst, M., Jackson, J., Mitchell, P., & Manuell, R. (2026). System-level drivers for the adoption of evidence-based practices in schools: Systematic review. Australian Council for Educational Research and Australian Education Research Organisation. https://research.acer.edu.au/tll_misc/51
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright Statement
All material presented in this publication is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence, except for: photographs, the organisations' logo, branding and trademarks, content or material provided by third parties, where CC BY 4.0 permissions have not been granted. You may copy, distribute and adapt the publication, as long as you attribute the Australian Education Research Organisation Limited ACN 644 853 369, ABN 83 644 853 369 (AERO), and abide by the other licence terms.
Publisher
Australian Council for Educational Research and Australian Education Research Organisation
Included in
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons