SBR - 1 Andrew P. Johnson, Ph.D. – andrew.axe.johnson@gmail.com SCIENTIFICALLY BASED RESEARCH IN EDUCATION Andrew P. Johnson, Ph.D. Minnesota State University www.teaching-reading.com Podcast: The Reading Instruction Show https://rss.com/podcasts/drandy We want reading instruction for all students to be based on “scientifically based research”. In RTI students are identified for special education services based on how they respond to interventions that are supported by scientifically based research. As well, at our colleges and universities we are required to make sure preservice teachers receive instruction in reading methods that are supported by scientifically based research. It cannot be just any old kind of research; it must be scientifically based research. So, what exactly does this term mean? What does it take to be scientifically based research? Can only scientists do scientifically based research? Who decides what kind of research is scientifically based? What is science? What is research? Exploring and explaining these mysteries will be the focus of this short article. RESEARCH, SCIENCE, AND METHODOLOGY Research in its most basic form is simply a matter of asking questions and using data to answer those questions. We do this in varying forms every day. For example: What happened to my tomato plants? What is the strange noise in my car engine? Why is Johnny not learning? What is the most effective approach to use to teach this skill? Was my lesson effective? How should I teach reading to students who are struggling readers? Asking and answering these questions are all forms of research or re-search (to search again). Scientific research is a process that uses systematic methods to collect data to answer questions. These systematic methods come in a variety of forms. Meaning that there really is no such thing as the scientific method; rather, there are methods of science. In contrast, the US Department of Education has determined that only a single type of research methodology can be used to ask and answer questions in the field of education (see Figure 1.). They have ironically labeled this, scientifically based research (SBR). The irony is this: however, can anything be said to be truly scientific if it ignores or invalidates an abundance of data? Figure 1. A definition of scientifically based research (37) SCIENTIFICALLY BASED RESEARCH- The term scientifically based research' — (A) means research that involves the application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and programs; and (B) includes research that — (i) employs systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation or experiment; (ii) involves rigorous data analyses that are adequate to test the stated hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn; (iii) relies on measurements or observational methods that provide reliable and valid data across evaluators and observers, across multiple measurements and observations, and across studies by the same or different investigators;