S TUDYING T HE C OMPLICATED M ATTER OF W HAT W ORKS : E VIDENCE -B ASED R ESEARCH AND THE P ROBLEM OF P RACTICE J OHN M. D IRKX Resource Presentation Miranda Sulley EDUC 513 Seattle University February 22, 2012

R ESOURCE S ELECTION Published in Adult Education Quarterly, a well- known academic journal related to Adult Learning in various institutional types Why did you choose this article? Increasing interest in theory  practice The value of educational research Why do you like this article? Concise, unbiased representation of several different viewpoints concerning the value of evidence-based research (EBR) in educational settings

T HE V ALUE OF EBR IN I NFORMING E DUCATIONAL B EST P RACTICE OPPONENTS (Elizabeth St.Pierre) *EBR is motivated by political and ideological agendas, rather than the desire to improve the quality of student’s experiences *acts as method of control over the educational system *favors generalized research over utilizing expansive practitioner knowledge *devalues qualitative research methods and diminishes the moral, political and epistemological complexity of adult education Dirkx, J. M. (2006). Studying the complicated matter of what works: Evidence-based research and the problem of practice. Adult Education Quarterly, 56(4), PROPONENTS (Michael Feuer) *EBR may provide universal strategies for addressing problems related to practice *creates objective methods of practice through implementing experimental designs *may aid in addressing problems with curriculum planning, teaching strategies, and the assessment of student learning *research is conducted by unbiased outsiders GOAL: Implementing best practices in education that produce the intended, desired effect on student learning

V ALUE F OR A DULT L EARNING P RACTITIONERS Emphasizes the importance of Adult Education as a field concerned with Best Practice Informs educators in Adult Education about the disconnect between outsider research and insider needs/knowledge of practice Stresses the importance of context, observation, and self-reflection in informing Best Practice

L IMITATIONS Does not provide any concrete solutions that directly inform Best Practice Generalized approach to educational research; does not mention specific content areas May be out of date (2006)

R ELATION TO C OURSE C ONTENT Chapter 7 “Experience in Learning” Related to EBR opponents’ stance that best practice is informed through context-based experience, rather than generalized research “Educators’ purposes, roles, and learning designs for experiential learning differ depending on the lens through which they view experiential learning” (p. 169). Furthers Dirkx’s notion that context and self-reflection are crucial to informing best practices

R EFERENCE D IRKX, J. M. (2006). S TUDYING THE COMPLICATED MATTER OF WHAT WORKS : E VIDENCE - BASED RESEARCH AND THE PROBLEM OF PRACTICE. A DULT E DUCATION Q UARTERLY, 56(4),