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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Hey, Researchers and Policymakers: Pay Attention to the Questions Teachers Ask | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Hey, Researchers and Policymakers: Pay Attention to the Questions Teachers Ask | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

Hey, Researchers and Policymakers: Pay Attention to the Questions Teachers Ask

Mike Goldstein recently asked the simple question: “Why aren’t teachers clamoring for published research?”

His answer was hardly simple.

“One reason is that researchers generally examine the wrong dependent variable. Researchers care about next August (when test scores come in, because they can show achievement gains). Teachers care about that, too, but they care more about solving today’s problems….

A second issue is that researchers don’t worry about teacher time. Education researchers often put forward