Research utilization in higher education rulemaking: A multi-case study of research prevalence, sources, and barriers

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.28.5048

Keywords:

research use, higher education, educational policy, rulemaking, federal policy, United States, case study

Abstract

For stakeholders who would like to see more research as a basis for educational policy, it is important to understand the prevalence of research use and the sources of the studies used by policymakers, as well as the factors that hinder research use in educational policymaking. Through an analysis of regulatory documents and interviews with 34 key informants, this multi-case study examined the prevalence and sources of research utilized in higher education rulemaking, which is the process for developing federal regulations that govern higher education. This study also examined barriers to using research in higher education rulemaking. Findings indicate that while research has been used in this process, factors other than research were discussed more frequently in final regulations. Barriers to research use in higher education rulemaking included time constraints, unavailability of data, politics, lack of government research capacity, and other disjunctions between the research and policy communities. Moreover, the contexts in which particular rules were created shaped the prevalence and sources of research used in the regulations’ development. The article concludes with implications for policy and theory.

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Author Biography

Rebecca Natow, Hofstra University

Rebecca S. Natow is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at Hofstra University. Her research and teaching are focused on higher education policy, higher education leadership, and qualitative research methods.

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Published

2020-06-22

How to Cite

Natow, R. (2020). Research utilization in higher education rulemaking: A multi-case study of research prevalence, sources, and barriers. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 28, 95. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.28.5048

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Articles