‘Research’ can refer to a wide body of activities--it can describe when students in science classes may investigate a topic, gather evidence, and analyze data to develop their own ideas and present them to others. Or, it might refer to investigations conducted by scientists. The NSTA Research Division focuses on another kind of research-- the systematic study of how people learn science, including investigations into teaching methods, curriculum design, student understanding of scientific concepts, and factors that influence science learning, to improve science education practices and student outcomes across various levels of learning. 

The NSTA Research Committee is dedicated to keeping you informed about the latest research in science education and helping connect research to practice. This month, we want to hear from YOU! We invite you to take a short survey and share the topics where research would be most valuable in informing your work, as well as how you prefer to receive research content from NSTA. 

Last December, NPR’s On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti raised the question Is education research actually helping teachers? Her guest had analyzed the conference program for a large educational research association and reached the conclusion that much of today’s research doesn’t reflect what teachers say they need. This prompted NSTA’s research committee to consider our role in helping teachers access and engage with research in science education. 

While in some cases the experiences of teachers and the focus of research may seem minimally aligned, we recognize that there is a need for investigations of ‘grand challenges’ in education that have no quick and easy solution as well as for issues that are real, relevant, and urgent for educators. We also recognize that presentations made to a primarily researcher audience will likely differ from those made to a practitioner audience, such as NSTA.

Historically, there are examples of research that have made an impact on practice. Mary Budd Rowe’s investigation of wait-time provided actionable implications for teachers in their immediate day-to-day work with students. Similarly, research on the learning cycle has influenced curricular design as well as teacher’s daily lesson planning in science. That said, locating current research that is relevant and meaningful can be a challenge for teachers-- whether it’s time, access to subscription-based research journals, or wading through dense publications written primarily for a research audience. Additionally, teachers may not have a voice in identifying areas of research that would be relevant and important to their daily work with students or have opportunities to engage with researchers in meaningful partnerships. 

As the largest professional organization dedicated to transforming science education to benefit all, NSTA has an important role to play in supporting members' access and engagement with research. To that end, the NSTA Research Committee wants to hear from you! Take a moment to fill out our brief survey. Your input will help guide our efforts to deliver timely, relevant, and accessible research insights that support science educators at every level.

The mission of NSTA is to transform science education to benefit all through professional learning, partnerships, and advocacy.