Why is research in the field of education important?
Research contributes to the knowledge and development of the field and provides opportunities for practitioners and researchers alike to improve their practice, guide policy, and develop new knowledge about teaching and learning.
Why is research and data important?
Builds knowledge
Helps us to understand important issues
Increases public awareness
Supports the reliability and validity of claims
Serves as a conduit for sharing valuable information
Improving your research skills
Read
Read all about how to research. You can find books and articles on improving your research skills online or in your local library.
Research
Find highly published, reputable researchers in the field. Read what they have written, find connections to your own areas of interest, and take note of how they conducted their research.
Reach Out
Find a mentor, teacher, or critical friend to collaborate and discuss your areas of interest and research ideas. Talking with someone about your ideas helps to narrow your topic, develop a strong question, and identify a plan of attack.
Need some data? Explore these sites.
Many educators go to state and national education organizations, including those listed below, to gain ideas, learn about new research, find support, and discover the “hot topics” of education.
American Educational Research Association
The American Educational Research Association hosts annual meetings highlighting projects and initiatives that are advancing the field of education. »
American Institutes for Research
The American Institutes for Research conducts and applies the best behavioral and social science research, evaluation, and technical assistance towards improving people’s lives. »
American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
ASEE looks to support and advance the field of engineering education. They host meetings and conferences and also publish various works that help explore engineering education. »
EdChange
EdChange is an organization created by experienced educators and is dedicated to thinking around educational equity and justice. The organization offers resources, workshops, and scholarship centering equity and social justice in schools and school communities. »
Holdsworth Center
Mission: To impact, over time, the quality of K-12 public education for all Texas students by supporting and developing educational leaders. »
National Association for Multicultural Education
NAME is a non-profit organization that advocates for equity and social justice through multicultural education. They organize conferences and also have local chapters including one for the state of Texas. »
National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST)
NARST is an organization of professionals that collaborates to improve science teaching and learning through research. NARST hosts research conferences and publishes newsletters and publications that highlights current research in science teaching and learning. »
National Center for Educational Research
The National Center for Educational Research supports research addressing our nation’s most critical education needs. »
National Education Agency
The Nation’s largest professional employee organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. »
National Equity Project
The National Equity Project believes that people can lead change towards educational equity. In addition to working in collaboration with districts and partners, they also provide blogs, resources, publications to support a movement towards educational equity. »
National Science Teaching Association (NSTA)
NSTA provides resources for educators across grade levels and contexts who are looking to grow their science education practices. They look to connect stakeholders in science education and provide resources for use in the classroom as well as publications and conferences. »
Project Look Sharp
Project Look Sharp is an outreach program through Ithaca College that provides training and materials so that educators can weave in media literacy and critical thinking into their teaching. They provide training and professional development resources for educators working in K-12 schools as well as curriculum kits or lessons and activities that can be implemented in classrooms. »
Raise Your Hand Texas
Supporting public schools preparing Texas students for the future through public policy and strengthening schools leaders and teachers. »
Rethinking Schools
Rethinking Schools is a non-profit organization that is committed to promoting practices that support equity in public education, specifically thinking around the challenges present in urban schools. It provides resources including books, magazines, and a blog so that various stakeholders can join the conversation. »
Teaching for Change
Teaching for Change encourages making connections from classrooms to real world issues. Teaching for Change offers professional development workshops and courses, resources for parents, as well as published resources. They also provide resources for teachers looking to engage with this content in their classrooms. »
Texans Care for Children
Texans Care for Children provides updates and information about policy and legislation and its impact on children in Texas. They highlight ways that you can get involved and join the legislative conversation. »
Texas Education Agency (TEA)
The Texas Education Agency will improve outcomes for all public school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems. »
The TEA provides an array of reports based on the results of student testing and other assessments. »
TEA’s Early Childhood Education in Texas is an online space that provides information and reports that share information connected to early childhood education and educators. It also provides resources for families and webinars that share information as well. »
Texas Education Research Center
Hosted by The University of Texas at Austin, the Texas Education Research Center was created in 2006 to bridge the gap between theory and policy. This cooperative research environment hosts a data clearinghouse providing access to student-level data for scientific inquiry and policy-making purposes. »
U. S. Department of Education
The U. S. Department of Education’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. »
Wallace Foundation
Ideas and information you can use to help improve learning and enrichment for disadvantaged children and foster the vitality of the arts for everyone. »