Lesson Plan

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Running head RESEARCH ANALYSIS

RESEARCH ANALYSIS 5

Research Analysis

Clifford Miller

October 29, 2018

ED523-01: Research on Effective Teaching

 Maggie Broderick

Research Analysis

This paper provides an analysis of research article titled, “Using the 6S Pyramid to Identify Research-Based Instructional Practices for Students with Learning Disabilities by Tanya Santangelo, Leslie, Novosel, Cook and Gapsis in 2015.” In particular, the paper will analyze the research problem, literature review, research methods as well as limitations of the study.

Research Problem

Educators are always expected to use instructional practices that have been proven by research to be effective. To assist in making this a reality, organizations, as well as scholars, are constantly producing resources that reflect on and summarize research related to different forms of instructional practices. However, it can sometimes be frustrating and difficult for the educators to locate and make use of the information due to the complexity and growth in the size of the collection of resources. This article gives a detailed description of the 6S Pyramid which refers to a framework used to efficiently and accurately prioritize different types of available research evidence. The researchers here also identified and briefly summarized internet resources that correspond with each of the levels of the pyramid that are used when seeking to identify research-based practices that target students having learning disabilities. The article also aimed at illustrating the use of 6S Pyramid in the classroom and school settings.

Literature Review/ Theoretical Framework

Teachers and educators strive to find the practices that are most effective in helping them improve the outcomes of their students and hence ensure that struggling learners get to score satisfactory grades in the class. The 6S Pyramid model helps practitioners to prioritize RBPs found in various interment resources accurately and effectively for learners with learning disabilities (DiCenso, Bayley, & Haynes, 2009). The article provides an overview in regards to the RBPs and outlines their importance specifically for the special educators. RBPs here generally refer to instructional techniques, strategies, and programs that have been proven to be effective by credible research. One of the key points highlighted is the distinction between RBPs and evidence-based practices. Cook and Cook (2013) in their study define evidence-based practices as a subset of the RBPs having research bases that have met the rigorous standards in relation to research design and quality. RBPs, in this case, refers to the practices have research bases; however, they don’t necessarily meet the required rigorous standards.

Another key point is that the 6S Pyramid is a representation of a hierarchy of evidence. Its higher levels provide increasingly efficient and accurate types of information. This implies that when a practitioner is searching for RBPs, he or she should start the search at the highest level possible for the situation at hand and he or she can only work down to the other lower levels if the need arises (DiCenso, Bayley, & Haynes, 2009). A study by Haynes (2001) indicates that searching for, making a critical analysis as well as synthesizing the findings availed by multiple studies are very time-consuming tasks. Therefore, they are not practical especially for the busy educators carry out the process on their own. The other key point is in regards to the identification of internet resources relating to RBPs. The focus is restricted to resources that synthesize as well as appraise evidence from other studies that used designs that are generally known to establish a cause-and-effect relationship: single-case studies, quasi-experiments, and true-random experiments (Cook, Tankersley, Cook, & Landrum, 2008).

Research Design

This research used descriptive or qualitative research design. The following process was used in locating and analyzing the various resources. First, a search of all available internet resources that contained information relating to RBPs meant for learners with a learning disability was conducted. This step entailed determining ones offering free as well as publicly available data corresponding with various levels outlined in the 6S Pyramid. The focus was specifically on practices that target academic (e.g., math, reading, content area knowledge, and writing) and another career- and college-readiness outcomes (e.g., transition and functional-life skills) for the K-12 students. Two authors were asked to make an independent examination of the RBP-related sources and thereafter, a comparison was made for the data collected from them. A discussion was then carried out to resolve a few differences that were identified. The reliability was determined, and it was calculated as the total percentage

Agreement. In this case, it was more than 99%.

Findings

The research identified various internet resources relating to the different levels making up the 6S Pyramid. All had various resources available except for the sixth level (studies), however, for this level, they could be found in some professional journals.

Limitations

There are various limitations and considerations noted in this research. There is a significant inconsistency in the use of RBPs-related terminology, especially in the special education field. The 6S Pyramid has levels which are likely to overlap and various resources utilize different criteria and procedures. Another limitation is the fact that the organizations that provide resources related to RBPs, as noted from this study, have not designed their products to directly align with the different levels.

Its outcomes cannot be generalized since it calls for the need to support the RBPs before settling on implementing them. Educators, in this case, should not at any given time make an assumption that RBPs outlined in a given 6S Pyramid level are equivalent across organizations or websites.

Implications for Practice

The effective incorporation of the study findings into professional practice entail using the 6S Pyramid as a framework or guide. An individual should also have an in-depth analysis of the existing resources for this will aid in getting a better understanding on how to apply the available resources well and ensure the set goals and expected outcomes are achieved.

References

Chard, D. J., Ketterlin-Geller, L. R., Baker, S. K., Doabler, C., & Apichatabutra, C. (2009).

Repeated reading interventions for students with learning disabilities: Status of the evidence. Exceptional Children, 75(3), 263-281.

Cook, B. G., & Cook, S. C. (2013). Unravelling evidence-based practices in special education.

Journal of Special Education, 47, 71–82.

Cook, B. G., Tankersley, M., Cook, L., & Landrum, T. J. (2008). Evidence-based practices in

special education: Some practical considerations. Intervention in School & Clinic, 44, 69–75.

DiCenso, A., Bayley, L., & Haynes, R. B. (2009). Accessing pre-appraised evidence: Fine-tuning

the 5S model into a 6S model. Evidence-Based Nursing, 12, 99–101.

Haynes, R. B. (2001). Of studies, syntheses, synopses, and systems: The ‘‘4S’’ evolution of

services for finding current best evidence. Evidence-Based Medicine, 6, 36–38.