Design-Based Research

Design-based research is a still-evolving genre of educational research in which the design and development of innovations (also called interventions or treatments) that represent practical solutions to complex educational problems is driven by iterative empirical investigation. This scientific inquiry ideally produces new or refined theoretical understanding (often in the form of reusable design principles) that can inform the research and practice of others. Also known as educational design research or simply design research, design-based research combines various research methods, including formative evaluation strategies, to test and improve an educational innovation in practical settings with the search for generalizable knowledge about selected educational variables. The innovations that result from design-based research can be educational products (e.g., a serious learning game), processes (e.g., a strategy for enhancing group work in online courses), programs (e.g., a series of workshops intended to help teachers develop more valid learning assessments), or policies (e.g., single gender schooling). This entry discusses how design-based research is conducted, the challenges to engaging in design-based research, and the prevalence of design-based research.

Design-based research begins with a focus on a real-world problem. An example would be that middle school students are not developing a robust mental model of scientific processes such as fossilization, while at the same time researchers want to enrich related theoretical understanding of how mental models evolve from scientific misconceptions. After a thorough analysis and exploration of the context in which both the problem and knowledge gap exists, researchers and practitioners (e.g., educational researchers and middle school science teachers) collaborate in the design and construction of a prototype solution to the problem, for example, an interactive learning simulation focused on fossilization intended to enhance students’ mental model of the scientific process. The prototype innovation is then subjected to iterative cycles of testing and refinement accompanied by substantive reflection to guide its implementation and redesign. Concurrently with the development and refinement of the problem solution, theoretical knowledge about the construct of mental models is clarified and design principles that may be applied to the development of future innovations are identified. In addition to robust innovations and reusable design principles, design-based research may also yield enhanced professional development for researchers and practitioners alike.

Within the context of design-based research, investigations can be conducted both “on” and “with” the innovations that are developed. Research focused on an innovation has optimizing an innovative intervention or treatment as its primary goal, whereas research through an innovation has enhancing understanding about a complex educational variable (e.g., metacognition) as its primary focus. Often, both kinds of studies are needed to arrive at a final designed intervention. In both cases of research—conducted on or through an intervention— the two key goals of design-based research remain intact: to solve a major educational problem and to add to the scientific knowledge base. Professional development may also be a goal of design-based research but is not always pursued explicitly.

Design-based research is conducted by collaborative teams of educational researchers and practitioners around the world in both the K–12 and higher education sectors. Many of the people conducting design-based research align themselves with the relatively new field called the learning sciences rather than traditional fields such as educational technology or instructional design, but this is not always the case. Another field where design-based research is conducted is curriculum development.

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