Research Methods and Evidence

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The Standing Committee on Social Science Evidence for Use gives sustained attention to issues of research quality and utility and identifies actions aimed at promoting high quality social science with an eye toward evidence-informed decision-making. The committee will initiate and host interdisciplinary activities designed to: 1) build bridges between high quality research and the appropriate and realistic uses of research evidence to guide decision making; 2) tackle the conceptual and practical issues in setting evidentiary standards for applied research; 3) identify opportunities to improve professional training in applied behavioral and social science; 4) foster partnerships between the National Academies and outside organizations concerned with related issues; and 5) advance a culture of improved research, communication, diffusion, and understanding of opportunities and barriers for utilization of research in public policy. The Center for Education (CFE), housed within the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE), is participating in this study to address how research evidence can best contribute to improved decisions regarding education policy and practice. Click here for more information on the study including the agenda of the committee's most recent meeting.

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Featured Report

	Advancing Scientific Research in Education (2004) The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 have catapulted education research into the national spotlight.  Both acts are premised on the idea that education research can and should contribute to policy and practice and that education should be an evidence-based field.  At the same time, the inclusion of definitions of what constitutes "scientifically based research" in both acts has touched off a firestorm of controversy within and outside the field of education research. The advent of evidence-based education offers unprecedented opportunity for education research to initiate bold reforms. In this context, the National Research Council convened the Committee on Research in Education to foster high-level dialogue with key participants in education research about ways to promote improvements.  To carry out this task, the committee organized a five-part workshop series and published three reports. This final synthesis report offers recommendations for improving scientific research in education, organized around three key themes that emerged from the workshop series:  promoting quality, building the knowledge base, and enhancing the professional development of researchers. Order Now | Read the Report Online | Executive Summary PDF

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NRC Units with Projects/Reports in the Topic Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education Center for Education Board on Science Education Committee on Research in Education [COMPLETED] Mathematical Sciences Education Board

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More NRC Publications

	Strengthening Peer Review in Federal Agencies that Support Education Research (2004) outlines ways peer review can improve the quality of education research and promote the professional development of the field of education researchers. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11042.html
	Implementing Randomized Field Trials in Education: Report of a Workshop (2004) summarizes active exchanges among researchers and educators about the challenges to successfully carrying out randomized field trials in schools, strategies for addressing those challenges, and the effects of the current trend to fund more such studies on states, school districts, and students. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10943.html
	On Evaluating Curricular Effectiveness: Judging the Quality of K-12 Mathematics Evaluations (2004) offers a framework for curriculum evaluation which should be most useful to curriculum developers and evaluators as well as to those who select mathematics curricular materials for their school districts or states. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11025.html
	Understanding Others, Educating Ourselves: Getting More from International Comparative Studies In Education (2003) lays out the rationale for conducting international comparative research; describing the scope, purpose, and potential impact of such studies, as well as recommending future directions. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10622.html
	Strategic Education Research Partnership (2003) envisions a cadre of leading scientists and practitioners working collaboratively on a highly focused program of education research that is tightly coupled with practice. It proposes a large-scale, coherent program of research and development that would put the problems of educational practice at its center, and focus on all stages necessary to influence practice. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10670. For more information, visit the Strategic Education Research Partnership (SERP) website.
	Scientific Research in Education (2002) describes the similarities and differences between scientific inquiry in education and scientific inquiry in other fields and disciplines and provides suggestions for how the federal government can best support high-quality scientific research. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10236.html
	Methodological Advances in Cross-National Surveys of Educational Achievement (2002) summarizes a public symposium held in November 2000. This symposium drew on the wealth of experience gathered over a four-decade period, to evaluate improvement in the methodology, and to identify the most pressing methodological issues that remain to be solved. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10322
	Science, Evidence, and Inference in Education: Report of a Workshop (2001) summarizes the presentations and discussion from a March 2001 workshop dealing with the following issues: (1) the support of scientific quality at the federal level; (2) the interface of research and practice in education; and (3) the elucidation of similarities and differences in core concepts of evidence and inference across a range of disciplines and fields. You may read and search the full text of this book online
	The Power of Video Technology in International Comparative Research in Education (2001) discusses how video technology can help education researchers to examine teaching strategies in countries around the world and create a record of classroom practices for future studies. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10150
	Board on International Comparative Studies in Education (BICSE) Letter Report on Evaluating the Effects of TIMSS (2000) reports to the National Center for Education Statistics and the National Science Foundation states the urgent need to evaluate the effects of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study on education practice, as well as the process by which TIMSS has been used to try to bring about change in the United States. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=9903
	Improving Student Learning: A Strategic Plan for Education Research and Its Utilization (1999) proposes a long-term, highly focused program of research that involves the collaboration of researchers, educators, and policy experts. The plan is designed to increase the usefulness of research to educational practice. You may read and search the full text of this book online
	Global Perspectives for Local Action: Using TIMSS to Improve U.S. Mathematics and Science Education (1999), based on a comprehensive analysis of results from TIMSS, points out how the achievement gap between U.S. students and those in several other industrialized countries can be traced to differences in teaching methods, curriculum content, and school-support systems. The report contains practical information that American schools can use to improve local programs and student learning. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=9605
	Global Perspectives for Local Action: Using TIMSS to Improve U.S. Mathematics and Science Education: Professional Development Guide (1999) provides directions and support materials for leading workshops and planning sessions for teachers, educational administrators, higher education faculty, and the interested public. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=9723
	Next Steps for TIMSS: Directions for Secondary Analysis (1999), based in part on a workshop, summarizes recommendations regarding research strategies that could yield the understanding of student learning that TIMSS was intended to make possible. TIMSS has provided a remarkable volume of intriguing data about the educational performance of students around the world. However, there is a great deal of important follow-up analysis still to be done. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=6433
	Taking Stock: What Have We Learned About Making Education Standards Internationally Competitive? Summary of a Workshop (1997) summarizes a workshop at which state and federal policy makers, university researchers, and others explored the notion of international competitiveness in education; what has been learned from states’ efforts to incorporate international benchmarks in standards-based reform; and the broader policy implications of incorporating international comparisons in education. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=5938
	Learning from TIMSS: Results of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study, Summary of a Symposium (1997) summarizes a symposium held shortly after release of the first findings of TIMSS and discusses the results, methodology, and policy implications of this complex study. TIMSS is designed not only to measure student achievement at three ages, but also to explore curricula, teaching practices, and many other influences on student learning, both in and out of the classroom. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=5937
	Mathematics and Science Education Around the World: What Can We Learn from the Survey of Mathematics and Science Opportunity (SMSO) and the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)? (1996) lays out the groundwork for a public examination of the rankings and how student achievement is related to the teaching practices and curriculum in different countries. Whenever international studies of education are released, the first thing many people look at is how U.S. students rank in comparison to those in other countries. The report also draws on findings from the SMSO, a pilot survey that preceded TIMSS. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=5508
	Worldwide Education Statistics: Enhancing UNESCO’s Role (1995) identifies key steps that should be taken to strengthen the program for education statistics of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization and lays a solid foundation upon which subsequent and more detailed plans for improvement can be built. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=9086
	A Collaborative Agenda for Improving International Comparative Studies in Education (1993) is primarily intended to focus attention on the nature of collaborative efforts. It includes discussion of the value of international comparative studies in education; how they could be improved; and a suggestion for consultation and forming alliances among potential collaborators. You can access the text of this document at http://books.nap.edu/html/collab_agenda/index.html
	A Framework and Principles for International Comparative Studies in Education (1990) presents a framework for use by the Board on International Comparative Studies in Education in advising the National Center for Education Statistics and the National Science Foundation on U.S. participation in international comparative studies of education. You may read and search the full text of this book online at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=9220
	See the list of Education Research and Theory reports from the National Academies Press.

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