The federal Institute of Education Sciences has released two new research-based practice guides—one on ways educators can encourage girls in math and science, and the other offering suggestions on how teachers can shape instruction to boost learning.
The institute, which is the primary research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, introduced its line of practice guides last year as part of an ongoing effort to make education research more useful to practitioners.
Because so many educational strategies lack a rigorous research base to prove they are effective, the guides are meant to offer practitioners and policymakers some idea of what some promising practices might be. The guidelines are developed by consensus panels comprised of outside experts.
The first such guide, published last November, focused on teaching English-language learners. The recent guides are the second and third in that series.
“Encouraging Girls in Science” and “Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning” are both available from the Institute of Education Sciences.
