Rethinking Connections Between Research and Practice in Education: A Conceptual Framework
Abstract
Recent efforts to improve the quality and availability of scientific research in education, coupled with increased expectations for the use of research in practice, demand new ways of thinking about connections between research and practice. The conceptual framework presented in this paper argues that increasing research in educational decision-making cannot be simplified to an issue of dissemination or of motivating practitioners to access evidence-based research but rather is a bidirectional problem in which characteristics of both the research and practice communities must be understood and addressed in order to strengthen ties between research and practice in education.
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Data are sometimes used strategically, meaning data are manipulated to attain specific power or personal goals.
“Sometimes, data are used strategically; that is, data are manipulated to attain speci fi c power or personal goals (Farley-Ripple et al. 2018).”
From Data-based decision-making for school improvement: Research insights and gaps (2019) · cites this paper as Farley-Ripple et al. 2018
Data are often used in a conceptual manner, meaning data use leads to changes in teachers' and school leaders' thinking, although this does not necessarily translate into concrete improvement actions.
“Oftentimes, data are used in a conceptual manner, which means that data use leads to changes into teachers ' and school leaders ' thinking (Farley-Ripple et al. 2018; Lai & Schildkamp, 2013; Schildkamp and Visscher 2010; Weiss 1998), although this does not necessarily translate into concrete improvement actions.”
From Data-based decision-making for school improvement: Research insights and gaps (2019) · cites this paper as Farley-Ripple et al. 2018
Data can be used symbolically, meaning educators use data but not in any meaningful way, often to seemingly comply with external pressure and demands.
“Data can also be used symbolically, which implies that educators are using data but not in any meaningful way (Farley-Ripple et al. 2018), often to (seemingly) comply with external pressure and demands.”
From Data-based decision-making for school improvement: Research insights and gaps (2019) · cites this paper as Farley-Ripple et al. 2018
Cites
Reconceptualizing Organizational Routines as a Source of Flexibility and Change
Feldman, M. S., & Pentland, B. T. (2003) · Administrative Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/3556620 · Cited by 4,020 · see citing works
Making psychological theory useful for implementing evidence based practice: a consensus approach
Michie, S. (2005) · Quality and Safety in Health Care · doi:10.1136/qshc.2004.011155 · Cited by 3,440 · see citing works
How Can Research Organizations More Effectively Transfer Research Knowledge to Decision Makers?
LAVIS, J. N., ROBERTSON, D., WOODSIDE, J. M., McLEOD, C. B., & ABELSON, J. (2003) · The Milbank Quarterly · doi:10.1111/1468-0009.t01-1-00052 · Cited by 1,176 · see citing works
Rethinking Scale: Moving Beyond Numbers to Deep and Lasting Change
Coburn, C. E. (2003) · Educational Researcher · doi:10.3102/0013189x032006003 · Cited by 1,030 · cited 11× · see citing works
“Understanding who participates in research production or use is important because individuals’ working knowledge, ideologies, information, and interests, and their interaction and negotiation with other participants, influences how evidence is interpreted (Coburn et al., 2009; Finnigan & Daly, 2014; Kennedy, 1982a, 19…”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialUsing evidence: How research can inform public services
Nutley, S. M., Walter, I., & Davies, H. T. O. (2007) · doi:10.2307/j.ctt9qgwt1 · Cited by 808 · see citing works
Ikemoto, G. S., & Marsh, J. A. (2007) · Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education · doi:10.1111/j.1744-7984.2007.00099.x · Cited by 244 · see citing works
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Data-based decision-making for school improvement: Research insights and gaps
Schildkamp, K. (2019) · Educational Research · doi:10.1080/00131881.2019.1625716 · Cited by 347 · see citing works
Bridging the gap between research and practice: Predicting what will work locally
Joyce, K. E., & Cartwright, N. (2020) · American Educational Research Journal · doi:10.3102/0002831219866687 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Bellaera, L., Weinstein-Jones, Y., Ilie, S., & Baker, S. T. (2021) · Thinking Skills and Creativity · doi:10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100856 · Cited by 182 · see citing works
Knowledge brokering to bridge the research‐practice gap in education: Where are we now?
Rycroft‐Smith, L. (2022) · Review of Education · doi:10.1002/rev3.3341 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
- Authors
- Farley-Ripple, E., May, H., Karpyn, A., Tilley, K., & McDonough, K.
- Affiliations
- University of Delaware (US)
- Venue
- Educational Researcher
- Published
- 2018-03-08
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 235-245
- ISSN
- 0013-189X (ISSN-L)
- 1935-102X
- OpenAlex
- W2793568015
- Cited by
- 313
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 37 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 41 · 2023: 47 · 2022: 50 · 2021: 43 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 27 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 85.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Educational Researcher (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Institute of Education Sciences (Grant R305C150017)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Educational Research and Methods
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Educational Assessment and Improvement
- Social Sciences › Education › Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
- Keywords
- research-practice gap, evidence-based practice, educational decision-making, research dissemination, academic community, practitioner communities, conceptual framework
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