Building a Science of Education: Lessons Learned from the Use of Models for Research and Development of Educational Interventions

Improving education requires the development of scientifically grounded programs, practices, and policies. Over the past several decades, researchers and educators have employed a range of research-and-development frameworks to support this goal. Although these frameworks are designed to guide the translation of research into effective educational practice, their implementation and impact have varied considerably. This project examines the strengths and limitations of one widely used framework that has informed the development of curricula, interventions, professional learning, and policy. By analyzing how the framework has been applied and the outcomes associated with its use, the project will identify common challenges, misinterpretations, and opportunities for constructive alteration. The findings are intended to inform future framework design, supporting more efficient, scientifically valid, and scalable educational solutions for the full range of the Nation's learners and educators. The project will conduct a systematic, review of an existing framework that has served as the foundation for numerous educational initiatives over the past 25 years. Using a combination of literature synthesis, interviews, and structured stakeholder engagement, the research team will identify how the framework has been understood, implemented, and modified in practice. Particular attention will be given to how the framework supports, or fails to support, the realization of theory and research into practical outcomes. The study will include outreach to curriculum developers, researchers, and professional learning providers to gather insights into their use of frameworks, including barriers and enablers to effective application. Findings will be used to refine theoretical models of research-to-practice translation and contribute to the development of improved frameworks for designing, implementing, and evaluating educational interventions. This work will advance understanding of how to integrate research on cognition, learning, teaching, and curriculum into practical tools that improve education at scale. This project is jointly funded by the Translation and Diffusion (TD) program that supports research that advances the science of translation and diffusion between research and practice in STEM education, and the Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP), which advances use-inspired and translational research in all fields of science and engineering. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.