ABSTRACT
We seek to help close the gap that currently exists between research and practice in the field of education. The conventional model assumes a linear transfer of research into practice. “Fundamental research leads to applied research which then leads either to the development of products or codified professional practices that can be used by educational systems” (Stein & Coburn, 2003: 4). This dominant linear model divides the labor between researchers and practitioners. Researchers study “basic” educational issues. Findings are transmitted to practitioners through publications and other products such as curricula or instructional materials. Practitioners in districts, schools, and classrooms, in turn, attempt to put research results into practice. A second dichotomy exists routinely between researchers and practitioners. Practitioners are often the objects of study, rather than participants in constructing research and interpreting results. Value orientations, long established in the field, underpin and sustain these dichotomies: the abstract mental work associated with conducting basic research has traditionally been held in higher regard than the concrete practical work of applying research (Labaree, 2003; Lagemann, 2000).
