[Knowledge Transfer] Knwoledge Transfer and Utilization in Education

Although few educational researchers would state the case for educational knowledge utilization as strongly as Glaser, most would agree that producing knowledge, transferring it to a setting where it can be applied, and using that knowledge in some form is a worthwhile aim for social scientists concerned with improving education. And although some writers have wondered whether the "utilization problem" (to be discussed in this chapter) might well result from a lack of research findings worthy of use (e.g., Boruch & Wortman, 1979), most educational researchers and policy analysts whose work is assessed here are concerned with discovering ways of generating knowledge that is potentially useful, with designing effective mechanisms of transfer and with enhancing utilization of the knowledge. This chapter reviews recent thought and research related to knowledge production, transfer, and utilization, assesses the strengths and shortcomings of this research, and suggests directions and frameworks for guiding future efforts to more fully understand these processes.