Helping Practitioners and Researchers Identify and Use Education Research Literature

Evidence-based teaching practices are being encouraged to increase student skills and understanding in the sciences. Finding, interpreting, and applying education literature to a specific context are barriers to adopting these evidence-based practices. Here, we introduce a new feature, Evidence-Based Teaching Guides. This feature identifies literature associated with specific pedagogies, which we distill to practical recommendations for teaching. The goals of the feature are: to provide instructors with tools to make research-supported choices to implement the pedagogy in question, to articulate the reasons for their choices, and to develop increased awareness of biology education research. We think these guides may also be useful for biology education researchers in identifying critical components, adaptations, and contextual features that could be investigated for a given pedagogy. Each guide consists of a website with a visual map of instructional choices associated with the topic and linked pages that summarize findings from the literature and provide additional links to and summaries of key articles. Each guide will include an instructor checklist of recommendations consolidated from the entire guide in order to provide instructors with a snapshot of instructional choices and actionable advice.

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Moving Research into Practice: Can We Make Dissemination Stick?

Council review ◽

10.1177/0014402913079002041 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 79 (2) ◽

pp. 163-180

Author(s):

Bryan G. Cook ◽

Lysandra Cook ◽

Timothy J. Landrum

Keyword(s):

Special Education ◽

Education Research ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Evidence Based Practices ◽

Ongoing Research ◽

What Works ◽

Effective Dissemination ◽

Research Findings ◽

Practice Gap ◽

Traditional Approaches

Although researchers in special education have made significant advances in defining and identifying evidence-based practices, scholars often constitute an insular group that disseminates research findings primarily through outlets and venues targeting like-minded researchers using traditional approaches. Thus, despite tangible results in determining what works, using dissemination approaches that fail to resonate with or influence practitioners represents an important but often overlooked contributor to the ongoing research-to-practice gap in special education. The authors argue that empirical and theoretical literature outside of special education may offer insight into how ideas take hold, which may be especially relevant to the effective dissemination of evidence-based practices. Drawing on Heath and Heath's (2008) model, the authors describe 6 characteristics of messages that are likely to “stick”: (a) simple, (b) unexpected, (c) concrete, (d) credible, (e) emotional, and (f) stories. The authors consider each in terms of implications for dissemination of special education research findings, and urge special education researchers to consider researching, refining, and applying dissemination strategies that can make special education research matter on a broader scale.

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Implementation of the utility value intervention: An adaptation of implementation science frameworks for higher education teaching and learning research

10.31234/osf.io/mh6cw ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Raechel N. Soicher ◽

Kathryn A. Becker-Blease

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Education Research ◽

Implementation Science ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Higher Education Research ◽

Research Practice ◽

Evidence Based Practices ◽

Practical Applications ◽

Practice Gap

The research-practice gap refers to the failure of empirical effectiveness research to translate meaningfully into practical applications. In higher education research, this is evident in the low use or uptake of evidence-based practices in college classrooms. To help address the research-practice gap, educational researchers can draw on theories, frameworks, and methodologies from implementation science. Implementation science is a field of research originating in public health specifically designed to study the variables related to the process of getting evidence-based practices into routine use. The present study adapted multiple frameworks and validated measures of implementation outcomes to identify the facilitators to and barriers of implementing a motivational intervention in university-level general psychology courses. The results highlight organizational, instructor, and student-level factors that influence implementation. The study itself provides a demonstration of how to incorporate elements of implementation science into higher education research.

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A scoping review of strategies for financing the implementation of evidence-based practices in behavioral health systems: State of the literature and future directions

Implementation Research and Practice ◽

10.1177/2633489520939980 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

pp. 263348952093998

Author(s):

Alex R Dopp ◽

Marie-Rachelle Narcisse ◽

Peter Mundey ◽

Jane F Silovsky ◽

Allison B Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Health ◽

Health Systems ◽

Cost Sharing ◽

Research Literature ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Fee For Service ◽

Evidence Based Practices ◽

Level Of Use ◽

System Leaders ◽

Ebp Implementation

Background: Increased availability of evidence-based practices (EBPs) is essential to alleviating the negative public health and societal effects of behavioral health problems. A major challenge to implementing and sustaining EBPs broadly is the limited and fragmented nature of available funding. Method: We conducted a scoping review that assessed the current state of evidence on EBP financing strategies for behavioral health based on recent literature (i.e., post-Affordable Care Act). We defined financing strategies as techniques that secure and direct financial resources to support EBP implementation. This article introduces a conceptualization of financing strategies and then presents a compilation of identified strategies, following established reporting guidelines for the implementation strategies. We also describe the reported level of use for each financing strategy in the research literature. Results: Of 23 financing strategies, 13 were reported as being used within behavioral health services, 4 had potential for use, 5 had conceptual use only, and 1 was potentially contraindicated. Examples of strategies reported being used include increased fee-for-service reimbursement, grants, cost sharing, and pay-for-success contracts. No strategies had been evaluated in ways that allowed for strong conclusions about their impact on EBP implementation outcomes. Conclusion: The existing literature on EBP financing strategies in behavioral health raises far more questions than answers. Therefore, we propose a research agenda that will help better understand these financing strategies. We also discuss the implications of our findings for behavioral health professionals, system leaders, and policymakers who want to develop robust, sustainable financing for EBP implementation in behavioral health systems. Plain language abstract: Organizations that treat behavioral health problems (mental health and substance use) often seek to adopt and use evidence-based practices (EBPs). A challenge to adopting EBPs broadly is the limited funding available, often from various sources that are poorly coordinated with one another. To help organizations plan effectively to adopt EBPs, we conducted a review of recent evidence (i.e., since the passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act) on strategies for financing EBP adoption in behavioral health systems. We present definitions of 23 identified strategies and describe each strategy’s reported (in the research literature) level of use to fund EBP adoption in behavioral health services. Of the 23 financing strategies, 13 strategies had evidence of use, 4 had potential for use, 5 had conceptual use only, and 1 was potentially contraindicated. Examples of strategies with evidence of use include increased fee-for-service reimbursement, grants, cost sharing, and pay-for-success contracts. This comprehensive list of EBP financing strategies may help guide decision-making by behavioral health professionals, system leaders, and policymakers. The article also presents a research agenda for building on the current research literature by (1) advancing methods to evaluate financing strategies’ effects, (2) partnering with stakeholders and decision-makers to examine promising financing strategies, (3) focusing on strategies and service systems with the greatest needs, (4) improving methods to guide the selection of financing strategies, and (5) paying greater attention to sustainable long-term financing of EBPs.

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Journal Relationships in Special Education

Council review ◽

10.1177/001440297203800903 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 38 (9) ◽

pp. 695-703 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Francis Narin ◽

Daniel Garside

Keyword(s):

Special Education ◽

Education Research ◽

General Education ◽

Research Literature ◽

Journal Literature ◽

Education Literature ◽

Psychology Literature ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship ◽

Selection Of

The bibliographic citations in a selection of special education, general education, and psychology journals were analyzed to determine the journals of importance to special education research and the relationship of the special education literature to the general education and psychology literature. It was found that the journal literature of psychology is cited heavily both by journals in special and general education and also that special education journals minimally cite general education journals. The structure of the research literature resembles the letter Y, with the two upper branches of special and general education rather independent of each other but both dependent on a common base of psychology.

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Becoming Critical Consumers of Research: Understanding Replication

Intervention in School and Clinic ◽

10.1177/1053451217736863 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 53 (5) ◽

pp. 267-275 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hannah M. Mathews ◽

Shanna E. Hirsch ◽

William J. Therrien

Keyword(s):

Special Education ◽

Education Research ◽

Special Educators ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Evidence Based Practices ◽

Salient Features

Special educators are tasked with understanding and implementing evidence-based practices. The purpose of this article is to highlight the salient features of replication in special education research and explain how practitioners can use this knowledge to become critical consumers of research. To do this we describe replication, emphasize the importance of understanding replication in special education research, provide a list of questions for consumers of research, explain the process of replication using an example, and offer resources for critical consumers to access.

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Defining and Measuring Students’ Interest in Biology: An Analysis of the Biology Education Literature

CBE—Life Sciences Education ◽

10.1187/cbe.19-02-0037 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. ar34 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ashley A. Rowland ◽

Eva Knekta ◽

Sarah Eddy ◽

Lisa A. Corwin

Keyword(s):

Education Research ◽

Biology Education ◽

Physical Object ◽

Research Literature ◽

Future Research ◽

Student Interest ◽

Mathematics Students ◽

Biology Students ◽

Positive Feelings ◽

And Mathematics

Understanding how students develop biology interests and the roles interest plays in biology contexts could help instructors and researchers to increase science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students’ motivation and persistence. However, it is currently unclear how interest has been defined or measured in the biology education research literature. We analyzed this body of literature to determine how interest has been defined and used by the biology education research community. Specifically, we determined the extent to which previously published work drew on theories that conceptualize interest. Further, we identified studies that measured student interest in biology and characterized the types of measures used. Our findings indicate that biology education researchers typically describe interest as a relationship involving positive feelings between an individual and a physical object, activity, or topic of focus. We also found that interest is often not defined, theories involving interest are not often consulted, and the most common measures of interest only assess a single aspect of the construct. On the basis of these results, we make suggestions for future research seeking to examine biology students’ interest. We hope that this analysis can serve as tool for biology educators to improve their own investigations of students’ interest and measure outcomes of interest-generating educational activities.

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Replication Research and Special Education

Remedial and Special Education ◽

10.1177/0741932516648462 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

pp. 195-204 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Jason C. Travers ◽

Bryan G. Cook ◽

William J. Therrien ◽

Michael D. Coyne

Keyword(s):

Special Education ◽

Design Research ◽

Single Case ◽

Research Literature ◽

Intervention Research ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Education Intervention ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Evidence Based Practices ◽

Replication Research

Replicating previously reported empirical research is a necessary aspect of an evidence-based field of special education, but little formal investigation into the prevalence of replication research in the special education research literature has been conducted. Various factors may explain the lack of attention to replication of special education intervention research, including emphasis on quantity of publications, esteem for novel findings, and barriers to publishing high-quality studies with null or negative effects. This article introduces the special issue on replication of special education intervention research by first providing an overview of concepts and issues related to replication. Specific attention is then given to replication as it relates to group design and single case experimental design research, two prominent albeit philosophically different empirical methodologies. We then briefly describe how replications using these research designs can be conducted in complementary ways to better understand intervention effects and advance evidence-based practices in special education.

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Clinician's Guide to Evidence-Based Practices

10.1093/med:psych/9780190621933.001.0001 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

John C. Norcross ◽

Thomas P. Hogan ◽

Gerald P. Koocher ◽

Lauren A. Maggio

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Health ◽

Patient Characteristics ◽

Research Literature ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Evidence Based Practices ◽

Addictive Disorders ◽

Hands On ◽

Health Practitioners ◽

The Right

The second edition of the Clinician’s Guide to Evidence-Based Practices: Behavioral Health and Addictions provides practitioners with the skills to retrieve and use research in order to benefit patients suffering from mental and addictive disorders. Practice must be informed and guided by research, yet so much of the research literature feels inaccessible and overwhelming, too removed and too large to guide what we do daily with our patients. This book overcomes these challenges to evidence-based practice (EBP) by serving as a practical, how-to guide for graduate students and behavioral health practitioners. Following three realistic patients throughout, the Clinician’s Guide canvases the entire EBP process: asking the right questions, accessing the best available research, appraising the research, translating that research into practice, integrating that research with clinician expertise and patient characteristics, evaluating the entire enterprise, attending to the ethical considerations, and, when done, moving the EBP process forward by teaching it to others. This revised and updated edition includes a separate chapter on filtered sources for accessing the best available research, a series of hands-on Skill Exercises in each chapter to provide practical use of the material, a new section on barriers to successful implementation, and a companion website with expanded content, interactive examples, and hyperlinked references.

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