Dilemmas in Applying Research to the Identified Needs of Students

Following research is a great way for teachers and the general population to develop and implement strategies; however, there are some dilemmas that come with applying research to the identified needs of students. One of the biggest dilemmas is the cost of such research and the funding it takes to implement many of these programs and/or strategies. Schools are really struggling with all funding right now. It is nearly impossible to start new programs at this time unless they are free because there simply just isn’t any money to support these programs. The Internet often provides free access to some of this research but that doesn’t help if you need money to apply the research. Another dilemma that goes along with that is time. As I said, the Internet often provides free access to research but it is really hard to find the time to search for that research. The biggest complaint I hear from teachers is there is never enough time. Sometimes we learn of new programs that are available but when you don’t have the time to figure out how to make that program beneficial to your individual classroom, the program never gets utilized. Another dilemma is that the research and technologies are always changing. About the time a district, school, or teacher analyzes the research and finds ways to implement it in a classroom, the technology, program, or maybe even the research changes. Then a whole new process begins before the old process has fully reached it’s potential.