The Report-Research Continuum: A Differentiation Decision-Making Tool for Teachers to Design Rigorous Student Projects

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to assist classroom teachers in discerning qualitative differences between a student-written report and student-led research. There are many connotations to the terms “report” and “research,” and they can have implications on how teachers effectively or ineffectively differentiate instruction to challenge students who have high academic ability. In this article, we present what we coin the Report-Research Continuum (R-RC), which is a differentiation decision-making tool for selecting student projects of varied levels of complexity. We also discuss the benefits of student-led reports and research and how they align with national standards. After reading this article, teachers will have an expanded understanding of similarities and differences between the terms “report” and “research” and will be able to use the R-RC to guide their selection of appropriately challenging projects that align with students’ readiness levels and interest areas.