Research to Know, to Understand and to Do: Building Capacities for Educational Change

• In Event: To Promote Research Is Not Enough: Research Capacity, Knowledge Mobilization, and Learning for Educational Change

Abstract

Purpose and Perspective:

Building on the theme of ‘to know is not enough’, this paper develops a conceptualization of research use in relation to three purposes: to ‘know’, ‘understand’ and ‘do’. Following AERA’s concern that ‘to know’ is focused mainly on research provision itself, approaches to increasing research access, awareness and uptake are examined (Willinsky, 2011). However, the knowing-doing gap is often lamented (Cooper et al., 2009) and is a driving factor in moves to improve evidence-based decisions and research-informed practices (Easton, 2010) with accompanying knowledge mobilization strategies (Levin, 2011). This emphasis on increasing accessibility of information and processes for application are to be strongly encouraged. However, there are concerns that the sometimes missing purpose in an increasingly applied definition of ‘what works’ (Slavin, 2004) is research ‘to understand’ involving broader explanatory, theoretical and conceptual understandings that are important for connecting, explaining and exploring the ‘what’ of research information and the ‘how’ of research application. Further, evidence indicates beliefs and behaviours change most effectively for educational improvement when there is the combination of conceptual understanding and practical know-how (Cordingley, 2009).


Methods and Data:

The paper draws upon a literature review concerning education research use in Canada, New Zealand, U.K. and U.S. to inform a conceptual typology of research use with accompanying examples:
• To know: Accessing research findings for awareness and uptake of information including research products, websites and social media.
• To understand: Engaging in and with research through professional learning, research literacy and adaptation of research knowledge, including professional development opportunities, dialogue, networks and interactions about research.
• To do: Applying and integrating research into practices, including attention to research relevance, capacity of individuals and teams, and organizational and systemic developments for a culture and infrastructure to support research application.

The typology is further explored with data from studies concerned with connecting research, policy and practice to examine evidence – and gaps – about research use, including analysis of: almost 100 research projects used by a government; research capacity in 72 districts; and a project involving over 300 teacher research inquiry projects.


Results and Significance:

The paper concludes that the combination of the purposes of research to know, understand and do is necessary and powerful for educational change strategies. The paper suggests that evidence about research approaches and capacities for each purpose can be differentiated somewhat with associated implications for researchers considering how to develop dissemination, mobilization, learning and application strategies for the potential uses of their research. Without such considerations, we may continue to fall into the trap of thinking that once research is produced it will be taken up, understood and applied, when the evidence is to the contrary if there are not accompanying mobilization, learning and application processes. Further, for scalable, systemic and sustainable change strategies, we need to pay considerably more attention to organizational and systemic capacity and policy implications, as well as to individual and team capacity and practice implications.

Author

• Carol Campbell, University of Toronto - OISE