The politics of linking educational research, policy, and practice: The case of improving educational quality in Ghana, Guatemala and Mali

This paper examines the political dimension of the educational research und ertaken by Ghanian, Guatemalan, and Malian teams as part of the 1991 to 199 6, USAID-funded "Improving Educational Quality" (IEQ) project. The followin g questions are addressed: (a) why were (or were not) aspects of the educat ional reforms studied by the researchers; (b) why were (or were not) resear ch findings used in decision-making about the educational policies and prac tices associated with the reforms; and (c) why were particular institutiona l arrangements and funding levels constituted for the research and dialogue activity. In offering answers to these questions, attention is paid to loc al, national, and global power relations and resource distributions.