This book shows, in detail and with concrete examples, how educational theory and research can be translated into practice. Well-known researchers who have worked to establish productive, sustainable connections between the knowledge produced by the research community and the practices employed in school settings provide descriptions of successful strategies that have been used to bridge the gap among theory, research, and practice.
The volume addresses three main themes:
*analysis of how educational theory and research may be used to improve student learning and achievement in mathematics, science, and reading;
*examination of how educational theory and research has been used to conceptualize, implement, and evaluate the effects of challenges of large-scale reform; and
*exploration of how different models of intelligence and creativity have informed educational practice.
Viewed as a collective effort to translate theory and research into educational practice, the interventions and programs described by the contributors to this volume represent nearly 200 years of work. As a compendium of successful strategies, this book will help others identify ways to make their own research more useful to their practice communities. As an investigation of persistent, seemingly intractable problems encountered when attempting to connect theory and research to the everyday work of teachers and students in classrooms, the analyses presented in this volume demonstrate where additional work is needed. By examining critical, persistent challenges encountered when attempting to connect educational theory and research to the everyday work of teachers in classrooms and schools, this book will help improve the practical value of educational research and help chart the course for future research.
Translating Theory and Research into Educational Practice is intended as a text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses across the discipline of education and should be particularly relevant for classes dealing with educational research, educational policy, and teaching and learning. The book is equally relevant for various communities interested in improving connections between research and practice, including educational researchers, educational psychologists, psychologists, teachers, other educational professionals such as state school officers, district officials, and policy makers. The authors' comprehensive descriptions and critical reflections will provide readers with valuable insights about the practical demands, theoretical complexities, and political realties associated with efforts to translate theory and research into effective educational practice.
Table of Contents:
Contents: M.A. Constas, R.J. Sternberg, Preface. Part I: Translation of Research and Theory in Content Areas and Skill Domains.M.A. Constas, R.J. Sternberg, Part I Commentary. A. Schoenfeld, Notes on the Educational Steeplechase: Hurdles and Jumps in the Development of Research-Based Mathematics Instruction. S. Magnussen, A. Palincsar, The Application of Theory to the Design of Innovative Texts Supporting Science Instruction. J.M. Fletcher, B.R. Foorman, C.A. Denton, S. Vaughn, Scaling Research on Beginning Reading: Consensus and Conflict. R.C. Calfee, R.G. Mille, K. Norman, K. Wilson, G. Trainin, Learning to Do Educational Research. Part II: Translation of Theory and Research Into Practice in Large Scale Reform.M.A. Constas, R.J. Sternberg, Part II Commentary. R.E. Slavin, Translating Research Into Widespread Practice: The Case of Success for All. C. Finnan, H. Levin, Accelerated Schools and the Obstacles to School Reform. J. Comer, E. Joyner, Translating Theory and Research Into Practice Through the Yale Child Study Center School Development Program. E. Zigler, M.F. Stevenson, The School of the 21st Century. Part III: Translation of Theory and Research Into Educational Practice to Build Intellectual Capacity.M.A. Constas, R.J. Sternberg, Part III Commentary. R.J. Sternberg, D. Birney, L. Jarvin, A. Kirlik, S. Stemler, E.L. Grigorenko, From Molehill to Mountain: The Process of Scaling Up Educational Interventions (First-Hand Experience Upscaling the Theory of Successful Intelligence). J. Renzulli, Swimming Upstream in a Small River: Changing Conceptions and Practices About the Development of Giftedness. M. Kornhaber, H. Gardner, Multiple Intelligences: Developments in Implementation and Theory. Appendix: List of Contributors.
Review :
"...Constas and Sternberg have produced a valuable book....this book highlights that it is possible for research to meet Bransford's call and do the right thing by building successful projects that bridge theory and practice."
—PsycCRITIQUES
