The The Transfer of Knowledge European Best Practices in Evidence-informed Knowledge Transfer - Models for Export?

Abstract The transfer of knowledge between educational research, practice, policy, and civil society is widely recognized as a critical factor in improving educational quality and decision‑making. Despite increasing attention, a persistent gap remains between research and non‑scientific communities in education, driven by divergent understandings of knowledge, uncertainties surrounding its application, and challenges in designing, implementing, and evaluating effective transfer mechanisms. At the European level, these challenges have led to the emergence of transfer research and the establishment of institutional infrastructures supporting evidence‑informed policymaking. This paper examines two prominent European initiatives that are widely regarded as flagship models of educational knowledge transfer: the British Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the Dutch Nationaal Regieorgaan Onderwijsonderzoek (NRO). Focusing on their key instruments—particularly the Teaching and Learning Toolkit and the Kennisrotonde—the study analyzes their transfer strategies, practice‑oriented outputs, and institutional anchoring. Building on this comparative analysis, the paper explores the conditions under which such approaches may be adapted to the German educational context. The findings contribute to ongoing debates on effective knowledge transfer by highlighting both the potential and the limits of transferring established European models across national contexts.