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How Can We Apply Research Findings To The Classroom?

By Larry Ferlazzo — October 03, 2012 1 min read
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J. Casey Hurley asks:

What does it look like to apply research findings to classroom practice?

Theoretical responses, (“It would look like this. . .”) do not count. I am looking for actual descriptions of what teachers did to apply specific findings in their classrooms.

I would welcome responses from researchers and teachers.

There is often a disconnect between education research and classroom application, and it appears that researchers, as well as teachers, know it. Education Week writer Sarah Sparks writes a blog here about ed research, and has shared reflections like these from researchers:

Educators and policy makers frequently argue that a study intended to answer a problem from the field becomes obsolete by the time it is released, or that its resulting intervention doesn’t work when translated to real classrooms.


“It’s not enough
to know” how a school or community can improve,[researcher Linda T.] Smith said, echoing the theme of the conference, “if you just annoy everybody.”

But many educators have been successful in applying helpful research findings, and I encourage readers to share their experiences. Please share your thoughts in the comments, or, if you prefer, feel free to email them to me.

You might also be interested in Several Ways To Tell The Difference Between Good & Bad Education Research, a previous post in this blog.

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The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.