Transcript Roles and Responsibilities of Researchers and

Roles and Responsibilities of
Researchers and Practitioners
Translating Research to Practice
Mark D. Shriver, Ph.D.
Munroe-Meyer Institute
for Genetics and Rehabilitation
University of Nebraska Medical Center
The Wing Institute
Summit on Evidence-Based Special Education
Overview
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My roles and responsibilities
Role and responsibilities of practitioners
Role and responsibilities of researchers
Role and responsibilities of trainers
Administrators/Policy Makers
Next steps toward Evidence-Based Practice
Definitions
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Role: What part do you play. A function
assumed by someone (Websters 3rd College Ed.)
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Responsibility: Actions that you take for
which you are accountable
Time Allocation for Expected Roles
5%
20%
Clinical Service/Practice
50%
Research
Training
Adminstrative
25%
My Interest in
Evidence-Based Practice
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Practice and Research roles
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Editor of research to practice journal:
Journal of Evidence Based Practices
for Schools
Journal Overview
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1998 Proven Practice: Remediation and
Prevention Solutions for Schools was
published
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Stated objective: “disseminate effective
application of ecologically valid behavioral
technology toward the prevention and
remediation of school problems.” (p. 1, V1, n1).
Definition of Terms in Objective
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Dissemination: “… the journal’s goal of making
empirically supported prevention and remediation
practices accessible to school personnel. To meet
this goal, articles published in the journal will (1)
outline the proven practice, (2) describe the literature
supporting the effectiveness and theoretical
underpinnings of the practice, (3) describe findings
of a study in which the practice was implemented in
a school setting, and (4) provide professionals with
the information they need to implement the practice
in their own settings.”
Journal of Evidence Based Practices
for Schools
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“The mission of the Journal of Evidence
Based Practices for Schools is to positively
influence the daily practice of school
psychologists and educators through
dissemination of studies demonstrating the
successful application of an evidence-based
practice for an educational setting.” (from front
matter)
Journal of Evidence Based Practices
for Schools
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“They [the editors] seek articles using non-technical language
that (1) outline an evidence-based practice, (2) describe the
literature supporting the effectiveness and theoretical
underpinnings of the practice, (3) describe the findings of a
study in which the practice was implemented in an educational
setting, and (4) provide readers with information they need to
implement the practice in their own schools in a section entitled
Implementation Guidelines. The Journal of Evidence-Based
Practices for Schools differs from other scholarly journals in that
it features articles that demonstrate empirically-based
procedures for readers to apply the practice in their setting.”
http://www.rowmaneducation.com/Journals/JEBP/Index.shtml
Research to Practice Articles
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Research to practice studies are based on a
relatively large and robust body of previous
applied/basic research
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Research to practice studies are conducted
in applied settings under “normal” conditions
Research to Practice Articles
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Research to practice studies demonstrate
successful implementation of the practice
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Research to practice studies provide clear
description of procedures, not so the study
can be replicated, but so the practice can be
implemented by another practitioner
Research to Practice Articles
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The goal of a research to practice study is
not necessarily to extend research but to
improve or extend practice
The Wing Institute Road Map
Role of Researchers
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The role of researchers is the production and
dissemination of research
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Data and Information
Responsibilities of Researchers
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Conducting research in collaboration with graduate
students and other research colleagues.
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University based.
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Identify question/ gap in literature
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Develop research design, procedures
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Seek funding
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Implement procedures.
Responsibilities of Researchers
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Disseminate in peer-reviewed scholarly journal
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Promotion and tenure are largely dependent upon
publishing in top notch scholarly journals
Evidence-Based Practice:
Roles and Responsibilities of
Researchers
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Role does not change
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Produce and Disseminate Research (data and
information)
Responsibilities expand
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Research to practice studies
Disseminate data and information to practitioners
What Needs to Change for
Researchers?
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Type of Research Questions (Source?)
Dissemination Efforts
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Where information is published
How information is written
Funding Priorities
Promotion and Tenure criteria
Graduate research training
Next Steps for Researchers
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Dissemination
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Journals
Web
Collaboration
Training
Advocacy
Role of Practitioners
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Practitioners are the on-site school personnel
with direct interaction with students
(teachers, aides, psychologists, counselors,
speech/language pathologists, OT’s, PT’s…)
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Consumer of Research (Data and
Information)
Role of Consumer
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The term Consumer implies that information
will be used, implemented, and/or applied.
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Research as a product to be consumed.
Product Marketing
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Product marketers want you to buy the product and
use it so that you need to buy more. The
assumption is that using the product will be
beneficial (reinforcing).
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Is implementation of research based practice in a
classroom consistently reinforcing (noticeable effect
on student, reduction of teacher effort) for teachers
to buy the product again (e.g., return to the research
for answers)?
Product Marketing
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The information that is disseminated to
teachers/consumers must be beneficial or
effective (e.g., increase student performance,
reduce or at least not increase teacher effort,
not use inordinate resources/time) for
teachers to continually “buy” research.
Responsibilities of Practitioners
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Improve student performance
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When problems arise, seek assistance
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Typically do not read research on an on-going or
proactive basis
Might look for research when problems arise
(reactive), but typically seek consultation from
others
Evidence-Based Practice:
Roles and Responsibilities of
Practitioners
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Not consumers of primary research, but
consumers of research to practice
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Informed consumers match research to
practice (does this fit my need?)
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Student characteristics
Setting characteristics
Practitioner characteristics
Student Characteristics
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Problems
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Populations
Setting Characteristics
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Resource availability
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Time availability
Practitioner Characteristics
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Practitioner Skills
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Protocol/Manual
Training and expertise
Supervision
Consultation/collaboration
Personality
Evidence-Based Practice:
Roles and Responsibilities of
Practitioners
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Implementation
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Progress Monitoring
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Data-based Decision Making
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Sustainability
What Needs to Change for
Practitioners
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Access to Information
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Centralized access
Trusted source
Type of Information
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Research to practice
Implementation guidelines
Data-based decision making
What Needs to Change for
Practitioners
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Training
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Graduate, in-service, professional development
Informed, critical consumers of research
Modeling/Practice/Feedback
Next Steps for Practitioners
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Improved access to research to practice
information
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Weekly/monthly meetings
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Accountability
Roles and Responsibilities of Trainers
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Role: Teach research and practice
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Trainers are often University based and
Researchers
Responsibilities:
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Teach principle or protocol?
Teach consumption and production
Roles and Responsibilities of
Administrators and Policy Makers
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Different Roles
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Similar Primary Responsibility: Resource
Allocation
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Increased emphasis on accountability
Next Steps for
Administrators and Policy Makers
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Increased collaboration with researchers
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Increase in-service training in research to
practice to help encourage proactive
consumption of research not reactive
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Implementing models for accountability and
data-based decision making
Accountability:
Getting to Outcomes
(Wandersman, Imm, Chinman, Kaftarian, 2000)
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Needs. What are the underlying needs and
conditions that must be addressed?
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Goals. What are the goals and objectives
that will address the needs and change the
underlying conditions?
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Best Practices. Which science
(evidence)-based models & best practice
programs can be used to reach the goals?
Accountability:
Getting to Outcomes
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Fit. What actions need to be taken so that
the selected program “fits” the community
context?
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Capacities. What organizational resources
are needed to implement the plan?
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Plan. What is the plan for the program?
Accountability:
Getting to Outcomes
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Process Evaluation. Is the program being
implemented?
Outcome Evaluation. How well is the
program working?
Improve. How can the program be
improved?
Sustain. If successful, how will the
initiative be sustained?
Survey Comments
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Campbell, R.F. (1962). The role of school study
councils and local school districts in the
dissemination and implementation of educational
research. In K. Goldhammer & S. Elam (Eds.),
Educational research: Dissemination and
implementation (pp. 79-104). Bloomington, IN: Phi
Delta Kappa, Inc.
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From a 1961 symposium at the University of Oregon
on the dissemination and implementation of
educational research in educational practice.
Survey Comments
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I have found that many of the teachers do not use
research findings because they do not always
understand the language they are written in, and
also because they are printed at random in many
different places. Perhaps if a small bulletin, which
summarized research findings in a few concise
sentences were sent out regularly by a school
system or by the state to various schools, teachers
could make better use of them. Too much of their
knowledge of findings comes by word of mouth in a
second- or third-hand manner that is not always
accurate.
Survey Comments
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Other than subscribing to all of the many journals
and publications, I feel that each school should have
available to the teachers on a loan basis a good
cross-section of the journals pertaining to the level of
instruction (intermediate, primary, junior and senior
high) rather than having them available thru a central
(district) professional library, and having them rotate
from teacher to teacher and from school to school.
The books spend more time on the go than in the
hands of teachers and frequently you don’t get an
issue until several months have elapsed.
Survey Comments
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The greatest block is the lack of understanding of the
research findings by the classroom teacher.
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Not enough staff personnel who are free to
encourage adaptation; not enough free time for
teachers to plan for taking on new practices. Too
often it is difficult to locate research studies and
sometimes when they are located they become of
little value until their practical applications have been
isolated. To do this in many cases as we would like
requires more time than it is possible for us to put in
on the problem.
Survey Comments
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Time to review the available research publications
of various types in order to glean those few studies
and findings that meet such criteria as (a) meeting
the standards of good research; (b) dealing with
problems of direct concern to personnel of this
district.
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Time to abstract and report.
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Time of busy school administrators and
supervisors to read and follow up on the selected
research reports they are sent. Also, a certain lack
of reciprocity on their part to educational research.
Survey Comments
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One of the chief roadblocks to the
dissemination of research findings and their
application is the lack of time for in-service
education because of the tremendous load
teachers and administrative staff are
already carrying. Under present
circumstances most of this type of thing is
done in addition to teaching a full load.
Survey Comments
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The chief road block that we find in
applying some of our findings from our
action research are (1) the lack of
necessary appropriations; (2) the failure on
the part of school personnel to accept the
findings of our research endeavors; (3) the
faith that people have in the practices that
have been established over a period of
many years.
Survey Comments
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I don’t believe that it is enough to make the material available
to individual teachers. Even granting that they can be enticed
into reading these findings, it is a task of immense magnitude
to change attitudes that have crystallized. It has been my
experience that even after the tremendous effort that has
been expended over the past five years in bringing findings
of the various curriculum research groups in mathematics to
the attention of teachers via almost every conceivable
medium, there still exists a very large group of our teachers
who have not budged one iota in their thinking.
Survey Comments
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There is difficulty in making proper
generalization on the basis of research
materials. Too often there will be too wide a
generalization based upon limited research.
When this application breaks down in
practice, then the prestige of research
suffers considerably.
Survey Comments
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I am continually looking for newer and better
methods for doing things in schools, and believe
that this field has a long way to go and that
teachers are not always able to utilize a child’s
mind in teaching to the extent that could be done.
Perhaps the trouble is that the pendulum of what is
popular usually swings from one extreme to the
other and throws out the old before evaluating the
new, and utilizing the good points of the old.
Survey Comments
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Unless research (quality) programs are
established such that the teachers are
required to have an active part in the
program, I am doubtful if anything will be
accomplished. On the other hand, we have
had most encouraging results when we
established research projects in which
teachers participated as responsible
investigators.
Survey Comments
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Graduate schools and colleges of education need
to do more than they are now doing to build up the
importance of the intelligent consumption of
current educational research. They also need to
emphasize the obligation of researchers to spend
more time on the “So what?” section of their
research reports. Time for accomplishing the
above could be achieved by cutting some of the
time now given to making every graduate student
thing he must be a producer of research.
Survey Comments
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Dissemination and implementation of
research information is helped if such
research is done as close as possible to
the classroom situation and with a welldefined and clear purpose. If a research
worker knows that his work will be proven
next day in so many classrooms, by so
many teachers and pupils, he will make his
work worth the test. This then makes easy
implementation possible.
Survey Comments
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The summary of research should be direct and given positive
indications as to what this specific research has accomplished.
Directions as to how these ideas can be implemented in a regular
classroom and where necessary materials for implementation can
be obtained are also important aids to getting research into the
classroom. Actual demonstrations with children is an excellent way
to stimulate interest in new teaching practice and getting teachers to
try it in their own classrooms.
More actual use of teachers’ opinions in such matters as class size,
grouping procedures, and retention. All of these areas have been of
much concern to me during the past three years and neither my
opinions nor those of my more experienced colleagues have been
really considered. Ours is a big district and maybe big districts have
to operate mostly from the top down, but I must shout that
sometimes all the big research teams, committees, and the lot can’t
tell how much water is in the well, not like the guy down there
standing in it.
What is Different Now Compared to 50
Years Ago?
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Technology
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Consensus
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Accountability
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What Will Be Different Tomorrow?
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What will be different tomorrow, will be determined
by our actions…
What will you do in your role tomorrow as a
Researcher
Practitioner
Trainer
Administrator
Policy Maker
?
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