%0 Journal Article
%T Multiple Audiences for Encouraging Research Use: Uncovering a Typology of Educators
%A Jennifer A. Lawlor
%A Jennifer Watling Neal
%A Kathryn McAlindon
%A Kristen J. Mills
%A Zachary P. Neal
%J Educational Administration Quarterly
%@ 1552-3519
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0013161X18785867
%X Purpose: We apply diffusion of innovations theory to examine two key research questions designed to inform efforts to improve the research¨Cpractice gap in education: (1) Are there distinct types of educators that differ in their prioritization of the compatibility, observability, complexity, relative advantage, and trialability of research? and (2) Are educatorsĄŻ roles or context associated with their categorization in this typology? Research Method: Using semistructured interview data in two Michigan counties from intermediate school district staff (N = 24), district central office staff (N = 18), principals (N = 22), and school building staff (N = 23), we first used directed content analysis to code for mentions of compatibility, observability, complexity, relative advantage, and trialability. Next, using the coded data, we conducted a hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis and follow-up cross-tabulations to assess whether cluster memberships were associated with educatorsĄŻ roles or county context. Findings: Educators in our sample could be categorized in one of five clusters distinguished primarily by different patterns of prioritization of the compatibility, observability, and complexity of research. Membership in these clusters did not vary by role but did vary by county, suggesting the importance of context for educatorsĄŻ perceptions of research. Implications for Research and Practice: These findings suggest that narrowing the research¨Cpractice gap in education will require attending to multiple audiences of educators with distinct priorities that guide their perceptions and use of educational research and evidence-based practices
%K research¨Cpractice gap
%K use of research
%K diffusion of innovations
%K perceptions of research
%K educators
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0013161X18785867