Often in education, talk about research gets a very negative response.  It is very unfortunate that some educators devalue research especially in reference to education.  I'm not exactly sure what the caution might be, there are serveral ideas that I have about it.  I think primarily, it can be because of the misuse of the statistics generated by research that causes some to be negative.  The fact remains that in so very many areas in our lives, we welcome research with open arms.

Just think for a minute.  It is no secret that Pat Shingleton (our local Meteorologist), does not put a call in to Ms. Cleo (the national psychic/psycho) to get predictions about the weather.  Even she didn't see the jail sentence coming for her fraudulent acts on national tv.  No, what Pat does is makes effective use of technology and research.  Research through the years has given him the ability to predict with a great level of dependability, the weather.  He knows that if the conditions are such then such will be the weather.  This is what research can do for us when appropriately applied.

When researchers make predictions or assertions about things, generally these come from their empherical studies over some period of time.  They look at things or conditions that are the same over a particular span of time.  Then afterwards, they from generalizations that are proposed (as in the case of education) as acceptable practices.  Finally, teachers in particular embrace and engage these practices avoiding the need of trial and error themselves.

Without research, trail and error is the way by which practices are developed and become unacceptable or acceptable.  The bad thing about that method is the amount of time and effort that is wasted and the opportunities lost.  It's like reinventing the wheel again and again, which picking up a manual would have been all that it takes.  Better yet, just going out and buying a wheel can work too.

Predictability is vaulable in education.  Through research we can effectively embrace predictability and use it for both our good and the students'.  We can know what to expect (just like  the weather man) when we go into the classroom.  We can (and should) know what it takes to move students forward.  We must know (in advance) how students respond to this or that. 

I call to mind an experience that I had when I was in the former Soviet Union in 1992 and again in 1994.  As a short-term missionary, we visited several cities and met hundreds of people personally.  Thousands attended our music concerts and we spent hours talking with them afterwards.  All the while that we were there, of great concern was  the soldiers that walked with rifles on their shoulders.  But of the greatest fear was that I might get ill.  I knew that their research and development was years behind what was in the United States.  The people there talked to us about things like that.  I told all those near me that if I would get ill, they were to immediately fly me to the United Kingdom or back to the United States.

Unfortunately, far too many of children are at the same level of risk.  What is even be worse is that they (the students) generally have NO idea.  At least I knew that danger was right around the corner.  What are they (the students) to do should their teacher be given to using ideas, strategies, and techniques that have long since proven outdated or ineffective?  Where should these students be flown to in such a case? 

Teachers that don't have a good attitude about research and professional development, put unsuspecting students at higher levels of risk.  It's the kind of risk that comes with second hand smoking; few see it coming. How sad these kinds of conditions are!

Great teachers have delivered themsleves from what I call the "god complex."  This is the kind of mind set that an individual might have believing they know just about everything there is to know.  When we can admit to ourselves that we don't know all there is to know, then we are free to learn.  It's only then they the need can be recognized and therefore opening the way to reach out for knowledge.  It is interesting that this is the same process that we expect from our students but too often are reluctant to do so ourselves.

Why don't you make that quality decision to begin a trek into the frontier of research.  You will be amazed at what people already know and are already putting into practice.  I urge you to become so well equipped that you minimize the level of risk associated with all the students whose lives you touch!