Special Education Practitioners as Consumers and Producers of Research: A Hierarchy of Competencies

This article explores the ways in which research can be conceptualized as a competency area for special education practitioners. Research expertise can be divided into three levels: content, or knowledge of research findings; process, or knowledge of the ways in which research is conducted; and application, or skill in the implementation of research activities. Although professional preparation programs in special education typically address the content of research, emphasis must also be placed upon process and application if practitioners are to become intelligent consumers and producers of research. Generic competencies for research consumption and production are described, and recommendations are offered for the integration of these competencies into preparation programs for special education professionals.