Interpreting educational research

Educators who want to judge the studies behind their classroom choices will find a practical guide here. The book shows how to read, interpret, assess, and write about both quantitative and qualitative education research, so that teachers can ground decisions about programs, curricula, and instruction in evidence. Its central aim is to build the habits of a critical consumer of research, reinforced by hands-on learning tasks that draw on current integrated language arts thinking.

The chapters walk through the full research process and the main research designs. They then turn to reading and evaluating research reports, with particular attention to the abstract, background, and statement of purpose. Later sections cover how to read and interpret literature reviews and how to find information about published research reports.

The material is intended for teachers working at any level, from pre-kindergarten through graduate study.