About RR2P

This site contains hundreds of Research Briefs, each one summarizing an individual research study conducted in classroom, informal, and everyday settings.

The purpose of the site is to provide access to and awareness of the developing body of knowledge in a number of areas of interest to STEM educators in both formal and informal settings.


Connecting and relating research and practice

Research findings don't always or easily map directly to educational practice. Rather than proposing such “instrumental” uses of research, this site was developed to support the “conceptual use” of research  -- in other words, to inform thinking, raise questions, and spark professional conversations.  

No single study is ever definitive: Research-based knowledge is developed across multiple studies and over time. Consensus studies, such as those conducted by the National Research Council, may provide the best views into the current state of knowledge in a given field.

We hope you find browsing the website, and narrowing in on particular subjects of interest, to be thought provoking and useful. Each brief contains links to the original article (often behind pay walls, but sometimes open source) if you are would like to read further.


About the contributors

This website resource was developed through a collaboration of the Exploratorium, the University of Washington, King’s College London, and the Afterschool Alliance

Please note that the research briefs found on this site summarize the published papers of other researchers and do not necessarily reflect the work, perspectives, or opinions of the authors of the briefs.


Cite a brief

Want to cite an RR2P brief? Please use the following convention:

(insert brief author's last name), (insert brief author's first initial). ((insert year brief was written)). (insert brief title): An ISE research brief discussing, "(insert paper title)." Retrieved from (insert brief url)

Example:

Bevan, B. (2015). Relevance as Rigor: An ISE research brief discussing , “ Relevance to Practice as a Criterion for Rigor.” Retrieved from http://relatingresearchtopractice.org/article/391