Research-practice partnerships have become increasingly popular for promoting evidence use, and this is similar to how evaluators partner with practitioners. Researchers and evaluators working in partnership with practitioners participated in a survey measuring evidence use, research rigor and relevance, and interpersonal factors (e.g.,…

Although teachers' instruction has been extensively studied, there is a dearth of research investigating how teachers design lessons and integrate new information into their existing lessons. This study utilized a case study approach to examine how teachers engaged in a nanoscale science professional development experience integrated new science…

Despite the professional learning benefits that may be realised through participation in research, many institutions and teachers are reluctant to get involved. They (correctly) anticipate that it will require some time, effort, and commitment. They may understand that research is important for improving education practices but more direct and…

The theory of practice architectures is a useful theoretical, methodological and analytical tool for educational research. The use of the theory is emerging as germane in early childhood education research. This article explores concepts from the theory as applied in an early childhood education research project. The article focuses on the concept…

Engaged scholarship offers a collaborative approach to bridge the gap between theory and practice by integrating research and practical knowledge. This study used a case-study approach to evaluate the facilitative and obstructive factors influencing engaged scholarship to support health promotion practice within the education system. Individuals…

In this article I explore the research-practice gap in RE with a unique dataset: The communication by teachers, and between teachers and researchers in a Norwegian Facebook group for RE teachers. Posts and comments in the group reflect that teachers largely communicate a practical form of knowledge with little engagement with research. At the same…

This tool is designed for individuals who want to formatively assess a research-practice partnership (RPP) in collaboration with its members. It provides guidance on how to set and monitor progress on quarterly RPP goals aligned to five critical dimensions that researchers and practitioners must address to build and sustain an effective RPP. This…

This article presents the background to and rationale for a practice-focused model of educational change and improvement. In contrast to autocratic top-down models, this democratic and pragmatic approach begins with the educational concerns of teachers. In this model, responsibility and accountability for educational improvement is shared between…

The Better Math Teaching Network (BMTN) is a networked improvement community (NIC) of researchers and high school teachers from New England who use improvement science principles to deepen student engagement in algebra content. The BMTN began as a pilot during the 2015-16 school year and concluded in fall 2021. Key learnings from the network…

Learning to spell in English requires the integration of general and specific word knowledge. This paper describes the 'Word Nerds' project, a research-practice partnership consisting of two researchers from a large public university and 17 elementary teachers in seven school districts in the United States. The collaboration was formed to study…

"Applying Cultural Historical Activity Theory in Educational Settings" harnesses research and development for educational improvement, bridging the gap between research and practice. Exploring how collaborations between researchers and practitioners can be used to co-construct solutions to real-world problems, this book considers key…

Purpose: Despite the growing interest in the applicability and value of educational research for improving educational policy and practice, few studies have demonstrated how English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teachers apply research findings in their second language (L2) teaching. This paper reports on a study in which four Hong Kong ESL teachers…

This report presents an overview of the history, collective learning, and concluding products of a networked improvement community (NIC) that operated and evolved between 2017 and 2021: the Student-Centered Assessment Network (SCAN). SCAN comprised a group of teachers from three Rhode Island high schools; a coordinating team of researchers,…

The author poses the following questions: (1) Are teachers making the impact that they think they are making? (2) Through teachers' intellectual writing, have they closed or widened the theory-practice gap in educational studies? (3) Are they fulfilling the mission of the organization? and (4) Does the mission of the organization need to be…

Calls to improve relationships between research and practice abound, among them efforts to help researchers to work in partnership with and communicate more effectively with policy and practice audiences, informing those that govern and design educational policies and those charged with implementation in schools and classrooms, respectively. These…