Phone Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
1-800-933-ASCD (2723)
Address 1703 North Beauregard St. Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
Complete Customer Service Details
March 2006 | Volume 63 | Number 6 Improving Professional Practice Pages 87-90
Steve Fleischman
Schools have recently begun to place increased emphasis on the use of rigorous research evidence in guiding instructional decisions. These efforts have been partly inspired by the No Child Left Behind Act's insistent call for the use of “scientifically based” research. As educators, however, we are driven by a much more powerful force than legislative mandates: We sincerely want to know that our actions will help students succeed. How can we harness the power of scientific research on behalf of the students we serve?
Turning education into an evidence-based field is easier to advocate than to achieve, particularly in an environment of competing claims about what works. Unfortunately, studies have shown that research findings rarely play a key role in helping teachers improve their professional practice (Kohlmoos & Joftus, 2005). The following factors hamper research use by educators.
Despite these ongoing challenges, several resources are available that can help educators bridge the gap between research and practice. These resources help educators
Like all advances in education, moving to evidence-based professional practice requires the leadership and hard work of teachers, principals, central office administrators, superintendents, parents, and community members. The research community—including state and district personnel and program developers—must also commit to improving its evaluation efforts. But in the end, evidence-based professional practice will only become a reality when educators embrace the scientific spirit and seek out and apply programs and practices that truly demonstrate their effectiveness.
Corcoran, T. (2003, November). The use of research evidence in instructional improvement. (CPRE Policy Brief, RB-40). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education, Consortium for Policy Research in Education.
Huang, G., Reiser, M., Parker, A., Muniec, J., & Salvucci, S. (2003). Institute of Education Sciences: Findings from interviews with education policymakers. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
Kohlmoos, J., & Joftus, S. (2005, August). Building communities of knowledge: Ideas for more effective use of knowledge in education reform. (NEKIA Discussion Paper). Washington, DC: National Education Knowledge Industry Association.
Raymond, M. E., Bortnik, K., & Gould, R. (2004, April). Program evaluation capacity in state departments of education. Stanford, CA: Stanford University, Hoover Institution, Center for Research on Education Outcomes.
Rickinson, M. (2005, October). Practitioners' use of research: A research review for the National Evidence for Education Portal (NEEP) Development Group. (Working Paper). London: National Educational Research Forum.
Slavin, R. E. (2003). A reader's guide to scientifically based research. Educational Leadership, 60(5), 12–16.
Sutton, S. M., & Thompson, E. (2001). An in-depth interview study of health care professionals and their research needs. Social Marketing Quarterly, VII(4), 16–26.
Steve Fleischman is a Managing Director at the American Institutes for Research (www.air.org); editorair@air.org.
Subscribe to ASCD Express, our free email newsletter, to have practical, actionable strategies and information delivered to your email inbox twice a month.
ASCD respects intellectual property rights and adheres to the laws governing them. Learn more about our permissions policy and submit your request online.