What makes Indonesian government officials believe in and implement evidence-based policy: The mediating role of religion-science compatibility beliefs

Abstract

This research is aimed at examining the relationship between religion-science compatibility belief (RSCB) and evidence-based policy (EBP) belief and implementation in Indonesia, a country with the biggest Muslim population in the world. A dataset containing responses to a questionnaire completed by 499 government officials in Indonesia was collected for the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). This study finds a relationship between RSCB and EBP belief and implementation. In addition, EBP belief also affected the implementation of EBP. The effect that RSCB has on EBP implementation was partially mediated by EBP belief. Studying how these beliefs relate to the attitude of policy makers toward science in a sociocultural context is important, considering that the focus of previous research is on different contexts pertaining to levels of education, industrialization, wealth, and democratization. This is important to encourage a more comprehensive understanding of the public about science globally. This study responds to the need for the literature to examine factors influencing EBP beliefs and implementation at the individual level in non-health contexts and developing countries.

Keywords

• Evidence-based policy
• Implementation
• Beliefs
• Religion-science compatibility beliefs