World-wide barriers and enablers to achieving evidence-informed practice in education: what can be learnt from Spain, England, the United States, and Germany?

A global push exists to bolster the connections between research and practice in education, yet fostering evidence-informed practice (EIP) is challenging and context-dependent. This study introduces and applies a novel comparative systems approach to analyse educators’ evidence use across four high-income settings: Catalonia (Spain), England (UK), Massachusetts (USA), and Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany). Using a dual analytical frame—a social cohesion/regulation matrix and institutional theory—the study accounts for macro-level contextual differences while enabling comparison of meso- and micro-level factors shaping EIP. Findings reveal substantial diversity in the extent and nature of evidence use that aligns with distinctive cultural, systemic, and institutional features, including varied accountability pressures and their effects on data and evidence use. The paper also reflects on process-related advances and challenges in undertaking this approach and offers provisional, context-sensitive insights for policymakers and practitioners to foster EIP within and beyond education.