Four Six Ways to Improve Research Use

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Four Six Ways to Improve Research Use
Ronald Dietel
American Educational Research AssociationAnnual
Meeting New York City - March 26, 2008
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Campbell Report RD Funding Policies of NIE

• We understand the political pressure for
  dissemination of the results of RD, but we
  conclude that NIE has done little to attack the
  problem
• We do not think that work in the field can be
  halted until theory catches up
• Research on knowledge-utilization could be more
  extensively funded as an essential basis for
  policy in this area.
• Roald Campbell others, 1975

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Education Research Could Improve Schools, But
Probably Wont

• Research is not readily accessibleeither
  physically or intellectuallyto the potential
  users.
• Summaries of major studies appear in periodicals
  like Education Week, but the detailed results
  (usually written for other researchers in
  academic-speak) are usually available only in
  separate reports or in relatively low-circulation
  journals that dont reach those who most need to
  know.
• Ronald Wolk, Education Week, 2007

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International Focus on Research Use-OECD

• Use-inspired basic research
• Systematic accumulation and dissemination of
  knowledge
• Stronger research-use capacity
• Research-based continuous improvement strategies

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1. Use-Inspired Research

• Is it useful for the intended audience?
• Is it credible?
• Is it timely?

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2. Increase Teacher Research Knowledge and Beliefs

1. Believe that research is valuable
2. Know where to find research
3. Know good research from poor research
4. Have time to use research
5. Know what to do when things dont work

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3. More Exemplars of Effective Practice

1. What Works Clearinghouse
2. Research Centers Organizations
3. RD Labs
4. Comprehensive Centers

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4. Communicate in Plain Language

• Schools of Education
• AERA
• Professional Associations

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Simplify Writing

• For example, one indication of the move towards
  the ikonic mode is shown when the child turns the
  sensorimotor understanding that an object
  exists regardless of his/her perception of it to
  an ikonic conception of it
• the sensorimotor skills of walking and grasping
  form the basis for the running and catching games
  of later childhood and early adulthood.
• Most importantly, these sensorimotor skills will
  now be available to contribute to intermodal
  activity as the individual moves through other
  modes.

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Tables and Graphs
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More is Messy

• Research Questions
• Are the districts formative assessments aligned
  to state and school district content standards?
• Do the district formative assessments improve
  learning in mathematics?
• What is the correlation between performance on
  the district assessments and performance on the
  state test?
• Formative assessments that are not aligned to
  standards are not useful in guiding and informing
  instruction, Smith and James, 1992
• Analysis of mathematics content standards that
  had been used to design third-grade assessments,
  was then used to design instruction--with
  learning experts
• Random selection of 400 students who received
  different types of math instruction (ten lessons
  each) before taking the district mathematics
  assessment
• Data on mathematics alignment
• Evidence collected in mathematics formative
  assessment using different mathematics curricula
  and instruction
• Learning experts analysis of data
• Triangulation of data
• Study Results

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Less is Lovely

• Do the district formative assessments improve
  learning in mathematics?

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5. Research Use Center

• Synthesize Existing Knowledge
• Lessons from Other Disciplines
• Research on Research Use
• Spread to others

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6. What AERA, IES and We Can Do

• Promote use-inspired basic research
• Make it part of what we do
• Promote funding
• Regular collaborative activities

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Six Ways to Improve Research Use

• Quality research
• Increase teacher knowledge
• More exemplars
• Communicate in plain language
• Research use center
• Shared roles and responsibilities

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ron_at_ucla.edu