ABSTRACT
It is almost a platitude to assert that there is a gulf between educational research and teaching practice-that there are a lack of structures to communicate research to teachers; few incentives for, and many barriers to, full-time teachers engaging in research; and that the great majority of published research has little or no influence on teaching practice. There are a number of reasons for this: some research is not intended to directly influence classroom practice and some (sadly too much) is not worthy of influencing teachers’ practice-it does not deal with problems that matter to teachers or does not suggest approaches which teachers find useful and flexible. However, not all educational research deserves criticism of these kinds; over the past 20 years there has been much research which, when shared with teachers in ways which they find accessible and meaningful, is seen as relevant, interesting and at least potentially useful. Unfortunately, opportunities to connect regularly with relevant research are rare or absent in the working lives of most teachers.
