Moreover, findings are often misinterpreted or used as ammunition in political battles. Research that supports the existing beliefs or biases of educators is likely to be accepted uncritically, while contrary evidence may simply be ignored. In the worst cases, research simply becomes ammunition in the education wars, with each side leaping on any findings that support their positions, but paying little attention to the quality of the studies they are citing. The picture appears to be changing, however. Research priorities are becoming more tightly focused on the needs of practice, while researchers and practitioners are beginning to communicate and work together.
Research struggles to be relevant.
Researchers and practitioners seem to inhabit two separate worlds. Research is often theoretically oriented, highly technical, and driven more by academic fashion or politically driven funding priorities than by the needs of schools. Researchers' main interest in knowledge is scientific. They explore the nature of problems, seemingly unconcerned with the time it takes to reach a conclusion. When discoveries are made, the findings rarely reach practitioners in a manner conducive to implementation.