A Translation of Research into Action?

This chapter argues that the primary problem for retention researchers and practitioners is not the production of better data but rather the more effective utilization of that evidence as the basis for shared understanding and action in the midst of uncertainty. It describes recent work on theory-to-practice conversations in student affairs specifically and higher education more generally. Discontinuity between research and practice is a classic problem of education research. The chapter shows that higher education research constructs and legitimates knowledge discursively. It argues that, since it already regards truth as a social product, higher education research has a latent pragmatic orientation; by exploring this epistemological stance further, higher education researchers can produce more practice-relevant work.