Classic Design of Curriculum Innovations: Investigation of Teacher Involvement in Research, Development, and Diffusion

This chapter examines the Research, Development, and Diffusion (RD&D) model, which for many years has dominated how research is used to inform the design of (large-scale) curriculum innovations. Specifically, we report a study that aimed to ascertain how research and practice relationships are shaped in RD&D projects, with a particular focus on teachers’ involvement and roles in the curriculum design process. From the larger literature concerned with the design of research-based curriculum innovations, we selected and analyzed nine projects featuring key characteristics of the RD&D model. Our findings confirmed that the RD&D model lives up to its potential to promote active utilization of research to inform the design of curriculum innovations. All projects analyzed reported the use of scientific research literature and findings from systematic evaluation studies as main sources of knowledge informing the curriculum design. Furthermore, and in strong contrast to the criticisms of the model, results indicate increased attention to the context and active involvement of teachers in the design process. Overall, this study inspires novel ways of thinking about the core RD&D assumptions and provides specific examples of how to actively involve teachers in fruitful research, development, and diffusion processes.