Abstract
AbstractThis chapter examines the Research, Development, and Diffusion (RD&D) model, which for many years has dominated how research is used to inform the design of (large-scale) curriculum innovations. Specifically, we report a study that aimed to ascertain how research and practice relationships are shaped in RD&D projects, with a particular focus on teachers’ involvement and roles in the curriculum design process. From the larger literature concerned with the design of research-based curriculum innovations, we selected and analyzed nine projects featuring key characteristics of the RD&D model. Our findings confirmed that the RD&D model lives up to its potential to promote active utilization of research to inform the design of curriculum innovations. All projects analyzed reported the use of scientific research literature and findings from systematic evaluation studies as main sources of knowledge informing the curriculum design. Furthermore, and in strong contrast to the criticisms of the model, results indicate increased attention to the context and active involvement of teachers in the design process. Overall, this study inspires novel ways of thinking about the core RD&D assumptions and provides specific examples of how to actively involve teachers in fruitful research, development, and diffusion processes.
Highlights
The improvement of educational practice through research is a topic of ongoing debate
General descriptors distilled from the literature characterizing the Research Development and Diffusion (RD&D) model were used to search for relevant projects, including terms reflecting the nature of the curriculum innovations under development, terms related to the different phases of the research and development process, and terms associated with the diffusion of curriculum innovations
All projects had a clear focus on the design of curriculum innovations intended for large- scale use, a distinctive feature of the RD&D model
Summary
The improvement of educational practice through research is a topic of ongoing debate. In education and other fields, the last decades have witnessed a renaissance of interest in knowledge mobilization and research use, and in the role of empirical evidence in informing practice (Farley-Ripple, May, Karpyn, Tilley, & McDonough, 2018; Levin, 2013; Nutley, Jung, & Walter, 2009). Despite this renewed interest, various studies have suggested that relationships between research and practice in education remain rather weak (e.g., HemsleyBrown & Sharp, 2003; Vanderlinde & van Braak, 2010). It is often argued that the types of problems addressed by educational researchers are typically different from the types of problems experienced by teachers in their daily work, and lack practical meaning (Broekkamp & Van Hout-Wolters, 2007; Burkhardt & Schoenfeld, 2003; Kennedy, 1997). Another reason relates to different interests and goals between teachers and researchers, which call for two distinct types of knowledge (McIntyre, 2005): while researchers seek for generalizable and abstract propositions, teachers look for practical and concrete recommendations that can assist them in dealing
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