Research + Practice (R+P) Collaboratory

Challenge

Even with decades of investment in STEM education research, a gap still remains between research studies and the perceived needs of education practitioners. As a result, studies are often designed without the input of the educators and schools for which the results are intended, and the research is not applied in the field.

The Research + Practice (R+P) Collaboratory, an innovative collaboration between EDC and several partner organizations, works to ground research in the realities and day-to-day practices of actual educators. This work is helping to create a clearer vision of effective practice for the learning and teaching of mathematics.

Key Activities

The R+P Collaboratory builds and supports collaboration between educators and researchers and uses those partnerships to develop research projects that address local needs. Its activities include:

Collecting, creating, and synthesizing translational research to expand STEM educators’ and education leaders’ access to, and awareness of, current relevant research
Offering opportunities for cross-sector meetings to foster engagement and cultural exchange between researchers and education practitioners
Innovating, testing, and documenting new instructional resources and strategies at adaptation sites in rural Maine, urban Washington state, and urban California
Disseminating products and results through national research and practice professional associations and networks