Relating Research to Practice contains a set of research briefs summarizing recent peer-reviewed educational research.
This website focuses on papers published in over a dozen different educational journals since 2009, including a few from the UK/EU representing global perspectives on teaching and learning. Research briefs are organized by a set of relevant topics and tagged with keywords.
These webinars explore equity issues around development of STEM identity. The first webinar includes a tool for self-evaluation and discuss strategies to support STEM identity. The second webinar focuses on what we… read more →
By now, we have all heard and read about the importance of “non-cognitive skills,” also referred by many other terms including social and emotional skills, 21st Century learning skills, or growth mindset, in… read more →
There is broad nationwide support for quality afterschool learning programs, but many states and school districts struggle to sustain and fund these initiatives, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
The American Youth Policy Forum’s (AYPF) latest issue brief, How Statewide Afterschool Networks Increase Investment in Afterschool explores how Statewide Afterschool Networks (SANs) advocate for increased investment in afterschool programs, resources, and policies, and share lessons learned from the field in creating high-quality, sustainable afterschool programs.
Drawing on interviews with state afterschool network leaders, this brief illustrates how various SANs are pushing for increased investment in afterschool programs, resources, and policies, and how their work can often make the difference in building and sustaining high-quality programs in communities that need them the most.
This is the first brief in a series, Beyond the Bell: Research to Practice in the Afterschool and Expanded Learning Field, and focuses on how afterschool programs contribute to the development of social and emotional competencies in young people. In practice, we see how high-quality programs can help participants learn, grow, and develop. But what does the research say? How can we prove it? AIR chose to focus the first brief on this important topic because there has been a growing recognition that afterschool programs can and do facilitate the social and emotional development of young people. Despite the recent attention this topic has received, efforts to define and measure social and emotional competencies in afterschool settings are still emerging.
Both the formal and informal education communities are increasingly focused on fostering opportunities for social and emotional learning (SEL) and the link between SEL and youth outcomes. There is a growing evidence that the social and emotional competencies youth develop while in afterschool programs can contribute to their success in school and life. As a result, afterschool program staff must understand the most effective strategies to promote the development of social and emotional competencies in youth. They must understand, too, how to build and improve their own social and emotional competencies.
This self-reflection tool focuses on five social and emotional competencies, including self-awareness, self-management/emotion regulation, social awareness, relationship/social skills, and responsible decisionmaking. The tool is designed to help afterschool program staff reflect upon their own social and emotional competencies and their ability to support young people’s SEL through program practices.
In collaboration with research partners at the University of Connecticut, P21 has just released a research series on key aspects of conceptualizing, developing, and assessing each of the 4Cs of Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity. The briefs outline findings from research about what we already know, what we need to know, and what we can do to embed 4Cs into practice.
What are the key issues affecting girls today in the U.S.? What approaches can afterschool programs employ to best support the success of boys, specifically boys and young men of color? We’ll begin to address these large-scale questions in a new ongoing webinar series focused on gender-specific programming in afterschool.
The series kicks off with an overview of data on the state of girls and delves into afterschool programming developed to address girls’ specific needs. Guest speakers will discuss a recent report highlighting key issues and major trends affecting girls in the U.S., as well as share research-based programming developed to support girls’ growth and development academically, socially and emotionally. In subsequent webinars, we’ll address gender inequality within STEM education, share practical tips from program providers and discuss best practices.
Literacy is fundamental to one’s learning, growing and comprehension of the world. Yet, when looking at students’ reading test scores as an indicator of U.S. students’ aptitude in literacy, more than 6 in 10 students at the elementary, middle and high school levels are less than proficient in reading.
Afterschool programs hold infinite potential to provide the additional supports necessary to ensure that students are equipped with the literacy skills they need in school, in careers and in life. Hear from three afterschool programs that are providing integral literacy supports to their students by building on their students’ school-day lessons and finding engaging, fun and innovative activities to inspire their students and place them on the road to become lifelong learners.
As interest grows in how children’s attitudes, skills, and character contribute to their long-term success, the University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) has recently synthesized what is known about these so-called “noncognitive” and cognitive factors – how children develop them, how they interact, at what developmental stages, and in which settings.
Researchers from CCSR will discuss the findings of their newly released report funded by The Wallace Foundation that provides evidence from child/youth development, cognitive science, psychology, and learning theory that educators, out-of-school time practitioners, policymakers, and funders can use to ground their work in a firm understanding of important goals for human development. It also aims to help schools and OST professionals think about how to design adult practices and youth experiences to reach those goals.
