What We Know

Research includes concepts of critical thinking, inquiry and problem-based learning. Successful researchers are able to identify problems or questions for research, locate sources to solve problems, analyze the validity of the resources and synthesize that information to solve a problem or answer a question.

The concept of students as researchers responsible for constructing their own learning developed in the middle of the 20th century with the work of John Dewey and Benjamin Bloom. These educational leaders developed theories of inquiry that challenged the traditional paradigm of the student as a passive recipient of learning (Loertscher & Woolls, 1997).

Research into the human brain shows that our brains make the strongest connections through actual experiences. To help students make these strong associations, educators can provide students with opportunities to solve authentic problems (Wolfe, 2001).

Students in the elementary grades should begin to develop the building blocks of a strong research foundation. It is not until adolescence, however, that most students display the increasing abilities to think abstractly, reflectively and critically, which are prerequisites for conducting independent research (Zorfass, 1998).

Teachers should be encouraged to use research in their classrooms because it has been demonstrated to have a positive impact on student performance. In Educational Programs That Work: The Catalogue of the National Diffusion Network (Lang, 1995), the U.S Department of Education's National Diffusion Network cited many successful programs that used curricula employing techniques of actively involving students in research projects (Zorfass, 1998).