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What does it look like to apply research findings to classroom practice?

Theoretical responses, (鈥淚t would look like this. . .鈥�) do not count. I am looking for actual descriptions of what teachers did to apply specific findings in their classrooms.

I would welcome responses from researchers and teachers.

Applying research on student motivation to teacher talk

鈥淵ou鈥檙e a smart kid. You should apply yourself more.鈥�

I imagine a lot of teachers have said something like this to a student or two. In my case, it was a student whom we鈥檒l call Jerry. His quick answers and keen insights told me he was capable of doing better. But my pep talks never did much good. The more I goaded, it seemed, the less he tried.

Years later, while digging into research on student motivation, I realized where I had gone wrong. By telling Jerry he was smart, I had reinforced what calls a 鈥渇ixed mindset"---a belief that 鈥渟marts鈥� is something you鈥檙e born with, not cultivated through effort. And by guilt tripping him, insisting he should work more, I had probably crimped Jerry鈥檚 sense of self-determination, which researcher says is key to intrinsic motivation (no one likes being told what they should do).

Here鈥檚 what I know now, that I wish I had known then, about teacher talk in the classroom.

For early childhood educators, especially those of us who teach in public schools, research is just as much about gaining respect for our practice as it is about reliability and validity. All too often we hear from colleagues and parents, 鈥淎ll they do is play.鈥� While that may be true in some classrooms, those of us who adhere to the science of child development know how applying research can make play an asset to learning.

Early Childhood educators use research in two main areas of their practice:

鈥� To set the stage. Since young children spend a large amount of their learning time engaged in play, the environment becomes critical to promoting higher levels of student achievement. Every plant in the room, every rounded corner on a shelf, and every art medium have purpose in the room because research-based rating systems clearly define how each material leads to higher student achievement. I refer to a series of environmental rating systems (//) to define which activities, interactions, materials and practices are proven to produce positive student outcomes. In math centers, for instance, I know that 3-5 types of developmentally appropriate manipulatives for classifying and sorting objects will provide an environment conducive to student learning.

鈥� To engage. The difference between play and purposeful play marks the distinction between daycare and preschool. Facilitating play that promotes learning is a complex equation involving interactions and questioning, appropriate materials and background knowledge. Educators who use research-based practices effectively facilitate the learning experience so that teaching and play flow seamlessly. Research conducted by ECERS specifies that such interactions must use actual events and experiences as a basis for concept development (ie: one to one correspondence taught while students set the table for the appropriate number of chairs at snack time) and concepts introduced in response to children鈥檚 interests rather than teacher chosen concepts.

Your initial question was something like: I have been told by some that research done in the field of education may not be applicable to different sub-groups, such as English language learners, students with special needs, and the like. Are there certain learning strategies that are universal in nature and can be applied across the spectrum, or must every instructional strategy be tried-out with every sub-group before it can be declared effective for that sub-group?

As we all realize, research can sometimes be difficult to find regarding specific subgroups, although it certainly exists. It has been well-documented that a teacher鈥檚 skills and knowledge are the most important variables in the classroom (Darling-Hammond, 1997). Stated differently, that what a teacher does in the classroom has a direct effect on student achievement (Nye, Konstantopoulos, & Hedges, 2004). Other research from the National Center for Education Statistics also shares that when teachers have strong academic skills students learn more (Mayer, Mullens, & Moore, 2000).

Referencing Dale鈥檚 鈥淐one of Experience鈥�, we recognize that the more active we make learning the better for students classified as ELL or needing special services. For example, when students participate in discussions or actually do the real-world experience, retention can be upwards of 50-100% than that of simply being expected to read or look at pictures of the learning (10-30%.) One example might be the work regarding establishing what is essential to learn and the proficiency scales that detail what that looks and sounds like along the progression is important not only for general education, but especially for those in subgroups like English language learners and special education. These specific elements assist with outlining what is essential for the content areas, but also for providing more specific feedback--all well-researched strategies.

Although settings for which some of the research may or may not be experimental studies, generalizations from such information is that subjects were often from various experiential backgrounds, socio-economic status, and abilities. Although research never professes to be the only way to do something, research generalizations can be as important to helping subgroups as not.

Additionally, action research studies are conducted on-sites with real classrooms filled with student differences, and show many strong achievement improvements from teachers trying and implementing strategies. Schon (1987) argued that 鈥渞eflection-in-action鈥� (reflection in the midst of an action) is an important way for teachers to increase their skills, as is 鈥渞eflection-on-action鈥� (looking back after the fact) to see that strategies assist students--specifically students in NCLB sub-populations. In fact, Ericsson and his colleagues (1993) discuss the power of deliberate practice. The goal is not to avoid thinking about a skill or process, rather to strive to achieve mastery at higher levels of performance. This empirical evidence is important as teachers work to improve their practices to in-turn improve student achievement for all students