Issue/question: The idea that ‘evidence’ can be used to improve teaching practices and pupil outcomes, ultimately leading to improvements at a system level, is currently fashionable in education, both nationally and internationally (Hammersley-Fletcher and Lewin, 2015). Yet, at the same time, there also exists a recognised failure, on an international scale, of evidence to make a widespread and sustained impact on the practices of educators (Bryk et al., 2011). A precondition to teachers’ research engagement is that such research must be accessible to them on demand, and the literature shows this is typically not the case. In fact, there are numerous formidable obstacles to research accessibility. As a consequence this case study focuses on ‘brokers’ and ‘mobilizers’ – individuals residing outside of schools and who are seek to work with practitioner partners to surmount these obstacles in unique ways and succeeding to varying degrees. Their efforts, although imperfect—and perhaps carrying with them a new set of issues—could ultimately illuminate new ways of enhancing teachers’ capacities to bring research to bear upon practice. Key ideas/approach: the paper is focused on two prominent US-based brokers, Edutopia® and The Marshall Memo. It compares and contrasts the work of these to brokers according to the following aspects: 1) their intended contributions to working with teachers; 2) their defining methods to working with teachers; and 3) the evidence suggesting these research brokering networks they have established are effective at enhancing teachers’ use of research. Main findings: Findings suggest that, in the spirit of networked learning, neither Edutopia or the Marshall Memo focus exclusively on research-based knowledge; rather, mediated research is presented alongside or mixed with other sources of knowledge, such as teachers’ tacit knowledge. Edutopia is considerably more advanced in terms of its technological and social media infrastructure in most regards and is more directly focused on impact/utilization. The Marshall Memo, however, includes two member features (a searchable archive of 7,000+ individual summaries; a demarcation of ‘classic’ articles) that I suggest could be leveraged by educators to greater effect. Although it is not yet clear the extent to which either entity/product is directly affecting practice and/or boosting research engagement, it is clear that Edutopia’s social media postings routinely generate substantial and constructive discussion and dialogue. Many such interactions appear to constitute earnest knowledge exchanges and discussions of ‘how’ one might implement the idea/s, another key facilitator of research utilization.

Bryk, A., Gomez, L. and Grunow, A. (2011). Getting ideas into action: Building Networked Improvement Communities in Education, in Hallinan, M. (ed) Frontiers in Sociology of Education (Dordrecht, NL, Springer). Hammersley-Fletcher, L. & Lewin, C. (2015). Evidence-based teaching: Advancing capability and capacity for enquiry in schools. Interim report. (Nottingham, National College for School Leadership).