International Perspectives on Gaps and Solutions for Integrating Research Evidence into Classroom Practices

One of the main difficulties in the field of science of learning is to ensure that findings are adopted by policy makers and practitioners and translated into the classroom. To address the question of why challenges persist, five heads of research labs involved in the science of learning from three different countries (the United Kingdom, France, and Chile) conducted a workshop to discuss challenges for the science of learning field. Thematic analysis was conducted on presentation slides and discussion notes, and the themes were organised around an adapted five-dimensional gaps framework by Miles (2017) to produce a gap analysis. Current gaps were identified in relation to: 1) existing theory and knowledge; 2) the research-practice divide; 3) research methodologies; 4) empirical testing and evidence verification; and 5) research with specific populations. Examples from work across the labs were used to represent international perspectives on challenges and evidence possible solutions. Some of the key takeaways and strategies for surmounting these gaps included the need for funding to research lesser-studied areas and populations, to replicate or repeat intervention evaluations, and to establish meaningful co-produced research partnerships between educators and research institutions.