Understanding evidence use within education policy: a policy narrative perspective

There are growing calls for improved understandings of the role of evidence within policy development. There is long-standing recognition of the role of narratives and narrative processes in public policy. The aim of this paper is to explore the potential of policy narratives as a way to make sense of evidence use in policy. Drawing on an exploratory study of evidence use by Australian education policymakers, we describe how policy narratives emerged as a recurring theme and repeated reference point. Building on these findings, we argue that policy narratives deserve greater attention and discussion within the field of evidence use.