Abstract
As educators, we all genuinely want to do what works best to support our students in achieving positive academic and functional outcomes. However, this is not always easy in an era in which we are inundated with numerous theories, curricula, and recommendations (both valid and invalid). The truth is, we know more now about how best to support students in improving outcomes than ever before in the history of special education; however, there remains a vast gap between what we know works from research and what actually happens in the classroom. This is, in part, due to the fact that there is as much misinformation available to educators as there is valid and reliable information regarding what works in special education.
As consumers, in general, we utilize a wide range of criteria to evaluate products and services (e.g., affordability, quality, reputation). Why not apply these, or similar criteria, to educational practices? As educators, it is our job to examine information that is presented to us to make informed decisions regarding curriculum and instruction that ultimately benefit the students and families we serve. It is imperative that educators become critical consumers of research. One might ask, How do I become a critical consumer of research? What does it mean to be a critical consumer of research? Being a critical consumer of research simply means you question what you are reading and make judgments related to adopting a practice based on relevance, usefulness, and accuracy of information reviewed. Important questions to ask when reviewing research include (but are not limited to) the following:
Is this article or summary of research from a reputable source?
What is the practice being described? Is the practice clearly defined so I can understand what I would see and do? Is it clear where and for whom the practice is expected to be effective? Is it clear what outcomes to expect as a result of the practice? If I attempted to implement the practice, how would I know I implemented it as intended (i.e., was a fidelity measure included)?
Do the conclusions seem reasonable?
Did researchers account for other factors that may have influenced findings?
Has the research been replicated with other participants in other places and by other researchers?
Being a critical consumer of research also means you are able to extract important information that informs what happens in a classroom through the review of web-based resources, summarizing research, or articles published in academic journals.
Web-Based Resources Identifying Effective Practices
There are numerous national organizations and centers that exist to assist educators in being critical consumers of research. Organizations such as the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders (NPDC-ASD), and the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) spend numerous hours combing through the research literature to provide educators with answers to some of these questions (Mazzotti, Rowe, & Test, 2013). Although web-based resources, such as WWC, NPDC-ASD, and NTACT, are convenient and provide quick access to effective practices to teach academic and functional skills to students with and without disabilities, reviewing research information from web-based resources such as these still requires some level of critical analysis. As noted in Rowe, McNaught, Yoho, Davis, and Mazzotti (2018), “The internet contains some extremely valuable, high-quality information; however, it also contains unreliable, subjective sources of misinformation” (p. 253). Unfortunately, this is the nature of the Internet.
The inconsistency with which information may be published on the web or Internet increases the burden placed on the user (in this case, educators) to evaluate the quality of the online sources for describing research and evidence-based practices. When evaluating the quality of the online source, educators are looking for key information to increase confidence about the relevance, usefulness, and accuracy of the information presented. Information to look for includes (a) who the authors are, (b) when it was written, (c) where the information came from, (e) whether it is a domain whose intent is generally to educate (e.g., .com, .org, .net, .gov), and (f) writing style (e.g., spelling, grammar, punctuation; University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, 2017).
Once you have determined the relevance, usefulness, and accuracy of the information, educators then need to use their professional judgment to apply the information learned to the classroom. Some resources, like NPDC-ASD, have guides that provide step-by-step instructions for how to implement a practice in your classroom with fidelity (i.e., implementing practice as intended by the developer). Other organizations, like WWC and NTACT, provide detailed descriptions of a practice and some general guidelines for translating the research to practice.
Academic Journals
Being a critical consumer of research also means educators are able to read relevant research articles and extract important information that informs what happens in a classroom. Typically, educators rely on reputable academic journals, such as Exceptional Children, The Journal of Special Education, Remedial and Special Education, and Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals to access research articles. Many types of research studies are published in these academic journals (e.g., systematic reviews, experimental, qualitative). Systematic reviews of literature help establish a basis for specific practices. Experimental studies describe the effects of a particular practice on an outcome. Correlational studies help educators understand what practices increase the likelihood of a student achieving a certain outcome (i.e., in school or postschool). Qualitative literature helps educators understand the context as participants experience the practices (Mazzotti, Rowe, Cameto, Test, & Morningstar, 2013). Although it is not recommended to make significant educational decisions based on the results of a single study, single studies do provide educators with valuable information to inform their practice. For example, as described in Test, Browder, Karvonen, Wood, and Algozzine (2002), many lesson plan components can be derived from a single experimental research study. You just need to know what to look for and be able to translate the research language into everyday educator lingo. If you want to take on the task of translating research to practice, according to Test et al., the first step would be to identify an experimental research article that examines the effects of a particular practice on the skills you are targeting for a specific population of students.
Experimental research articles are those that have used single-case or group designs. You want to avoid other types of research designs (e.g., qualitative, correlational) as they will not provide sufficient information to formulate all the components of a lesson plan. Next, you want to think about all the major components of a lesson plan. What will you look for? You are trying to identify the lesson objective, setting and materials needed, the content taught, the procedures for teaching the content, and how to evaluate student progress. A research article is going to provide you with the core content of a lesson plan. You will need to add more details to support implementation in your classrooms. For example, you may be required to add how the content you are teaching aligns with annual individualized educational program goals and Common Core standards, or you may need to consider certain accommodations or modifications for specific students and methods of evaluation to indicate mastery.
There are other academic journals, such as TEACHING Exceptional Children, that are practitioner focused and do not provide results of experimental research but provide step-by-step guidance on how to implement a practice in the classroom. These types of journal articles also provide valuable information to consumers of research. As this type of literature is reviewed, be sure to apply the questions of a critical consumer. Each article should provide a brief summary of the research, making an explicit connection to the current professional literature on effective practices (e.g., evidence based, research based, promising), followed by a “how-to” application section (Sayeski, 2017).
Be a Critical Consumer of Research
To ensure positive outcomes for students with disabilities, it is important educators are using data to make informed decisions about instructional methods and curricula used in the classroom (Mazzotti, Rowe, & Test, 2013). The research literature—in academic journals or summarized online—is one source of data for use in this decision-making process. It is also crucial that educators collect and use data on the progress of their own student(s) when implementing such practices as well as data on the fidelity with which they are implementing the practice. Educators want to be critical consumers of information to ensure that data they are using for decision making are valid and reliable.
Dawn A. Rowe, Ph.D.