Indirect routes to strengthening research-practice connections, through intermediaries or knowledge brokers, have received little emphasis in discussions of education research and practice. Joel Malin compares direct and indirect approaches to making these connections and considers how indirect actors are situated in the education system and what…

The relationship between research and practice in K-12 is complicated and fraught. Research publications are unlikely to become more "user-friendly," and teachers are unlikely to change their practice quickly or more willingly -- nor should they. Recognize that reality, Isobel Stevenson and Richard Lemons explain that schools need to…

We must reengineer both how we carry out educational R&D and the schools in which this work occurs if we want to achieve more productive ends. Education needs a Design, Educational Engineering, and Development infrastructure, which includes a rapid prototyping process by which researchers and practitioners co-develop innovations, try them in…

In fall 1983, the author was asked to write a column that would bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners and systematize "Phi Delta Kappan's" haphazard approach to reporting research studies. For the column's 20th anniversary, the author wrote a three-part series, "The Trouble with Research," which talks about how research has been…

Unlike every other developed country, Canada has had no national or pan-Canadian agency that works to support and promote research in education, and especially to build connections between research, policy, and practice. Canada has a national granting council that funds academic research in all fields, including education (the Social Sciences and…

Strengthening connections between research and practice is an important goal in education. Making the connection has both a supply side and a demand side but the demand is often ignored in education. The authors offer six hypotheses about why this situation occurs.

In recent years, the rigor and quality of educational research have drawn much attention. This increased interest has been driven by state efforts to collect student achievement data, the creation of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the explicit call for"scientifically based research" written into the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act,…

The U.S. Commissioner of Education describes the National Institute of Education, a national center for educational research. (LR)

Describes the origin and activities of the Grand Rapids Public Schools-Western Michigan University Center for Educational Studies, an organization endeavoring to link educational research and practice. (LR)

The OERI-funded research summarized in this special "Kappan" section constitutes a "trickle-up" research agenda animated by real respect for local autonomy and unwavering commitment to public service. The most valuable research will emerge from a collaborative culture uniting university-based researchers, K-12 practitioners and…

Reviews some changes witnessed during the past three years in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), the only federal government unit explicitly dedicated to supporting systematic inquiry about education. Although dwindling and underfunded, OERI has recently demonstrated some great renewal potential. (MLH)

The newly appointed director of the National Institute of Education responds to questions about the institute's objectives. (JN)

A candid appraisal of the difficulties faced in establishing a research and education division at John Adams High School. (Author)

The central proposal is the establishment of an educational research and development institute and an implementation council in each state. These would make it possible for the states to carry out vital research, development, and implementation activities that have not yet been conducted well at either level. (Author/IRT)

Research supported by the Cooperative Research Program of the U.S. Office of Education.