August 2008 — News
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Education Decisions: Looking for Strong Research and Better Implementations
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[Editor's note: This article is the second installation in a two-part series on using research to make decisions on education technology purchases. Part 1 can be found here. --D.N.]
"Without access to information from research about education practices, policymakers are more likely to make decisions that are ineffective or even harmful" (Lauer, 2004, p. 3). You've most likely read about some of those decisions--increased spending on technology interventions, charter schools, voucher programs, single-sex schools and classes, smaller class sizes, supplemental education services, minimizing or eliminating bilingual education--many of which have led to questionable achievement gains. One might wonder about the evidence and research base for those decisions. Yes, policymakers and educators might be influenced by news reports or a company's reports on studies it conducted or its documentation with the research basis for products it sells. However, there might be some bias or inaccuracies in those and evidence not sufficient for sound decisions. Additional evidence might be gathered by reading actual research studies and meta-analyses reported in journals.
In this part 2 on education decisions, I provide guidance on what to look for in a research report, tips for how to read a study, and resources for research and interventions that work or are promising. What is strong research? How do you know if research warrants policy changes or adopting a technology intervention in your setting? Significant outcomes from research are not necessarily of practical significance. Where do you turn, if research is sparse or non-existent? How should a technology solution be implemented? Readers might also note part 1 of this series in which I posed some initial questions to consider for sorting out claims by companies that say their products have a strong research base.
Looking for Strong Research
There are several types of education research, including experimental, quasi-experimental, correlational, descriptive, and case studies. In recent times, schools have been encouraged to adopt programs, practices, and policies resulting from scientifically-based research. "According to NCLB, scientifically-based research is rigorous, systematic, objective, empirical, peer reviewed and relies on multiple measurements and observations, preferably through experimental or quasi-experimental methods" (Lauer, 2004, p. 6).
