A Critical Knowledge Praxis Framework for Educational Policymakers and Practitioners

Abstract

Drawing on critically oriented principles, we invite policymakers and practitioners to extend traditional commitments to bridging the gap between research and policy and practice. To achieve this goal, we move beyond hegemonic norms that privilege traditional forms of research and instead adopt a more inclusive and expansive emphasis on knowledge. Furthermore, we introduce critical praxis as a way to reframe engagement with knowledge as a critical, reflective, ongoing practice that challenges traditional power dynamics and comes with a sense of responsibility to and relationality with various stakeholders in ways that knowledge “use” or “brokering” cannot fully capture. Policymakers and practitioners can turn to this framework as a guide to promote equity in a range of areas of education policy and practice.