Very little research finds its way into the classroom in a timely manner, if at all, and innovations that are implemented in classrooms are often not sustained. This lack of success is attributed to 1) attempts based on false premises; 2) ignoring the cognitive process that underpins the process of change; 3) differing viewpoints of researchers and teachers as to what is important, relevant, and feasible; and 4) the way we currently go about providing professional development.

I will present a cognitive model to support moving research into classroom practice, strategies that facilitate the implementation of current research findings into classroom practice, and a structure for professional development that will help researchers engage teachers in the implementation of research-based practices in their own classrooms.  In addition, I will present lessons learned from an attempt to change teacher practice through professional development and to measure teachers’ fidelity of implementation of research-based instructional strategies presented through professional development.

Dale Baker is a science educator in MaryLou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and member-at-large of the Steering Committee for the Education section of AAS. She is also a fellow of the American Educational Research Association and an affiliate of the Learning Sciences Institute. She has been editor of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching and currently is on the Advisory board of the Journal of Engineering Education.  Her research focuses on teacher professional development, equity issues in science and teaching and learning in science and engineering.