Getting Beyond the Research to Practice Gap: Researching Against the Grain

Abstract

Special education researchers have used considerable financial and human resources to work with teachers to close the gap between knowledge of research-based practices and their sustained use in classrooms. While some researchers have been successful in collaborating with teachers to achieve sustained use of classroom interventions, the gap between research and practice has remained a source of considerable concern to the special education community. In this paper, we use Cochran-Smith and Lytle's (1999) conceptual analysis of teacher learning to argue that the perceived research to practice gap may be the result of how many educational researchers have conceptualized and operationalized their research with teachers. Instead, we propose a more collaborative way of approaching research that involves teachers in the generation of new knowledge, not just its application to the classroom. We offer this collaborative approach as a way to transform practices in schools and classrooms and better meet the substantive intent of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The Basic Structure of Community Early Intervention Programs for Children with Autism: Provider Descriptions

“…Currently very few evidence-based practices for ASD have been empirically tested with children who have varying disabilities. An understanding of commonalities and differences across methods used for a variety of disabilities (e.g., autism and language delay) would be helpful to providers (Bondy & Brownell, 2004). Providers would then be able to better choose specific methods that would both fit their programs and be beneficial to the changing mix of children enrolled.…”

“…Researchers and providers across a variety of disciplines, including EI, are often frustrated by the gap between research and practice (Bondy & Brownell, 2004). In the area of ASD, researchers are skeptical about the ability and/or willingness of public programs to utilize evidence-based practices to provide quality treatment due to limited training and funding (Mcgee et al, 1999).…”

Building a Research‐community Collaborative to Improve Community Care for Infants and Toddlers At‐risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…Researchers have called for innovative models of intervention development and implementation that shift from the traditional, unidirectional models of translating research into practice toward a more reciprocal, interactive effort between researchers and practitioners (Bondy & Brownell, 2004; Meline & Paradiso, 2003; Weisz, Chu, & Polo, 2004). Specifically, there have been calls for more bidirectional or multidirectional knowledge exchange involving active collaboration and partnership between researchers and community stakeholders at all stages of the research and the research-practice transfer process (Addis, 2002; Beutler, Williams, Wakefiled, & Entwistle, 1995; Wells & Miranda, 2006).…”

Education programmes for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Evaluation Framework

“…However researchers and providers are often frustrated at the gap between research and practice (Bondy & Brownell, 2004). Schools and school districts frequently seem unwilling or unable to utilise evidence-based practices to provide quality treatment.…”