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The significance of context for the emergence and implementation of research evidence: the case of collaborative problem-solving

Cukurova, M; Luckin, R; Baines, E; (2018) The significance of context for the emergence and implementation of research evidence: the case of collaborative problem-solving. Oxford Review of Education , 44 (3) pp. 322-337. 10.1080/03054985.2017.1389713. Green open access

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Abstract

One of the fundamental purposes of educational research is to provide evidence to facilitate effective practice. However, the evidence itself does not have much value for practitioners unless key information about the context from which the evidence was generated is also provided. In this paper, we use the word ‘context’ to refer to factors that are relevant for learning, including the interactions that learners experience with multiple people, artefacts, and environments. Unfortunately, in many educational research studies, either these factors do not get the required attention or information about them is presented in an incoherent structure. The resultant lack of information leads to two significant drawbacks. First, it creates confusion among practitioners who want to apply research evidence in their practice. Second, it leads to research studies that on the face of it are similar, but that in reality have resulted from evidence that has been collected in significantly different contexts being included under the same categories in reviews, meta-reviews, and best-evidence syntheses. In this paper, we draw on the concept of ‘relatability’ of evidence and present taxonomy for collaborative problem-solving (CPS) that can be used to provide the valuable information against which research evidence can be indexed. By addressing the need for more detailed information about the contextual factors from which the evidence is generated to bridge the gap between research and practice in CPS research, we aim to exemplify the approach that is needed in educational research more generally.

Type: Article
Title: The significance of context for the emergence and implementation of research evidence: the case of collaborative problem-solving
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1080/03054985.2017.1389713
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2017.1389713
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Research evidence, contextual factors, collaborative problem-solving, taxonomy, educational technology
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Culture, Communication and Media
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10040856
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