Using Online Modules to Bridge Research to Practice in Classrooms

Abstract

Although research identifies a plethora of evidence-based instructional practices, classroom teachers find research difficult to access and often of little relevance to classroom practice; therefore, they do not implement these practices. Bridging the gap between research and practice requires continued and mediated support as teachers translate and contextualize research through their lenses of prior knowledge, understandings, and impact on student results within their classrooms. This developmental process is both time consuming and unique. To address the need for contextualized support during the implementation process of evidenced-based instructional practices by teachers to determine impact of instruction, online modules have been developed, implemented, and researched using a beta testing process. The authors of this article describe the content of the online modules and mediated support, outline the specific research framework of beta testing procedures and instrumentation, describe the content and structure of the course, analyze the results from the pilot study, and describe the limitations and considerations for continued research.