Understanding Brokerage in Education - Backward Tracking from Practice to Research

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys

Education research focusing on how “brokerage” operates between research production and classroom practice. The report presents a backward-tracking approach that moves from educational practice to prior research efforts, clarifying knowledge brokers’ work and how research products change through the pathway to use in schools. It outlines definitions, literature-based context, mapping methods, and case-study procedures, then synthesizes findings on what drives brokerage effectiveness and what implications follow for education stakeholders.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages95

Reading Time3 h 59 min

AccessFree to download

About the Center

Acknowledgments

Table of Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

Executive Summary

Data and Methods

Findings

What We Learned About Brokerage in Education

What Might This Mean for Education Stakeholders?

Introduction

Definitions

Brokerage in the Literature

Understanding Knowledge Brokers and Their Work

Understanding Research Products and Their Transformations

Understanding the Paths from Research to Practice

Methods

Mapping the Paths between Research and Practice

Method for Backward Tracking Case Studies

Step 1: Identify Cases

Understanding Brokerage in Education Backward Tracking from Practice to Research Samantha Shewchuk, Ph. D. Elizabeth N. Farley-Ripple, Ph. D. April 2022 The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U. S. Department of Education, through Grant R305C150017 to the University of Delaware. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U. S. Department of Education. Please cite this report as follows: Shewchuk, S, & Farley-Ripple, E. (2022) . Understanding Brokerage in Education: Backward Tracking from Practice to Research. The Center for Research Use in Education (CRUE), University of Delaware. Available from: [http://crue.cehd.udel.edu](http://crue.cehd.udel.edu) i About the Center The Center for Research Use in Education is an Institute for Education Sciences-funded knowledge utilization center focused on rethinking research for schools (R4S) . Our mission is to expand the study of research use and produce a more holistic picture of what drives it, from the production of knowledge by researchers to the application of research in schools. We also seek to identify strategies that can make research more meaningful to classroom practice. At our center, we believe that education research is an important part of the educational process. We further believe that rigorous evidence, whether qualitative or quantitative, can foster better opportunities and outcomes for children by empowering educators, families, and communities with additional knowledge to inform better decision-making. For this reason, we seek to support strong ties between research and practice. To learn more about our center, visit [http://crue.cehd.udel.edu](http://crue.cehd.udel.edu) and follow us on Twitter at @UDCRUE. Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank those that contributed to this work: Dr. Karen Louis, whose expertise throughout this process was invaluable. Dr. Henry May, Dr. Horatio Blackman, Dr. Sara Grajeda, Dr. Rui Wang, Kati Tilley, and Debbie Micklos for the design and implementation of the survey underlying the Center’s work. Dr. Joseph Tise, Dr. Kalyn McDonough, Layne Humphrey, and Dreisen Heath for their contribution to our conceptualization of brokerage. Dr. Jenna Neal, Dr. Zachary Neal, Dr. Amanda Cooper, and Dr. Joel Malin for their expert review of this research and invaluable feedback on the report. Jackie Kerstetter of Alessi Communication & Design Co., for her development of visual maps. Akiko Yamagata of Graphite Editing, for her editorial contributions to this report. ii Table of Contents About the Center ............................................................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents............................................................................................................................................................ iii List of Figures .................................................................................................................................................................... v [List of Tables..................................................................................................................................................................... vi](List of Tables..................................................................................................................................................................... vi) Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................................... vii Data and Methods ........................................................

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the report on brokerage in education?

The report examines how brokerage connects education research to classroom practice. It aims to explain what drives research use in schools and how knowledge brokers operate along the pathway from research to practice.

How does “backward tracking” work in this study?

The study starts from practice and traces backward to the research efforts that contributed to use in schools. This approach is implemented through mapped pathways and backward-tracking case studies.

What kinds of research elements does the report analyze to explain brokerage?

The report addresses knowledge brokers’ work, definitions of brokerage, research products and their transformations, and the paths from research to practice. It combines these components to clarify how research becomes meaningful for classroom use.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys