Assignment:
While researchers may conduct experimental trials of techniques, practicing professionals (e.g., teachers, nurses, doctors) should use only evidence-based practices (EBPs) when working with their populations. In this case, EBPs are those that have shown the desired results when tested extensively by researchers. Teachers who use strategies and routines grounded in research are using EBPs and therefore have the best chance of success for themselves and their students. Typically, your school will supply you with most of your curricular materials, but you may have to find strategies on your own to meet individual students' needs. For teachers, EBPs are found in peer-reviewed professional journals. For this extra-credit assignment, you must find a research article that investigated at least one instructional strategy, behavior management technique, or assistive technology by testing it on a population of students.
1. Your article must come from a peer-reviewed journal. You'll need to familiarize yourself with the search procedures of the database you choose to ensure this.
2. Your article must have been published no earlier than 2013.
3. The students/participants in the study must be 0-22 years old, have one of the disabilities studied under the HI or LI modules, and covered under IDEA/have IEPs. Research on parents or teachers is not acceptable. This includes surveys of teachers or parents.
4. The research must focus on instructional strategies, behavior management techniques, or assistive technology, not medications, assessments, schoolwide interventions, or curricula. Heward, Alber-Morgan and Konrad (2017) discuss strategies extensively.
5. The research must have tested the strategy, technique, or technology on at least four students. Studies that review other articles or use large scale databases are not acceptable.
6. The results of the study must be presented as numerical data. Claims of efficacy or improvement without hard data do not constitute EBPs.