Dr. Samantha Shewchuk and Dr. Elizabeth Farley-Ripple, researchers at the Center for Research Use in Education, have studied what happens in the space between research and practice by using qualitative methods to explore three areas of inquiry: 1) understanding which individuals and organizations serve as knowledge brokers, (2) understanding the types of research-based products that move through brokerage systems and how research-based products are transformed in that system, and (3) understanding the path by which information moves from research into practice.  In Understanding Brokerage in Education: Backward Tracking from Practice to Research, they report on backward tracking four case studies, examining each case through a five-step approach to produce credible stories of what happens as research moves between research and practice. These case studies highlight the critical importance of research brokerage in moving research-based ideas into practice as well as highlight issues related to understanding and leveraging the system of brokerage in education to strengthen the relationship between research and practice.

Citation: Shewchuk, S. & Farley-Ripple, E.N. (2022) “Understanding Brokerage in Education, Backward Tracking from Practice to Research.”  A Report from the Center for Research Use in Education. University of Delaware, April 2022.  Supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305C15001