Research Utilization in Special Education

Abstract

Evidence-based practice is an essential component of special education and provides a framework for promoting the use of research to inform policy and practice. Despite the importance of evidence-based practice to special education, the research-to-practice gap remains a persistent challenge to the successful dissemination of effective, research-based practices. Given the underuse of research in special education, the next big thing in evidence-based special education is to develop effective mechanisms for disseminating research and practice. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to introduce research utilization as a concept to special education and present a preliminary analysis on special education teacher perceptions of research. Results suggest that special education teachers value evidence-based practice but remain unsure of their skills to distinguish between studies with more and less rigorous methods. Moreover, we found that special education teachers tended to use sources with lower self-reported ratings of trustworthiness, such as social media and teacher exchange websites, due to time efficiency and accessibility. Respondents provided recommendations for ameliorating the research-to-practice gap and increasing the usability of research overall.

Citation

Buren, M.K., Johnson, A.H., Maggin, D.M., Bains, B.K., Ledoux Galligan, M.R. and Couch, L.K. (2021), "Research Utilization in Special Education", Cook, B.G., Tankersley, M. and Landrum, T.J. (Ed.) The Next Big Thing in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities (Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities, Vol. 31), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 29-46. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0735-004X20210000031003