A field-initiated vision of research infrastructure for STEM education

STEM education research has historically been under-equipped, relying on standardized tests and questionnaires while other fields deploy space telescopes and particle accelerators. What would happen if we designed research infrastructure for STEM education to address our priority needs? The INTERACT Incubator is a research coordination network whose goal was to develop a field-initiated vision of novel infrastructure that would enable aspirational research that could advance equity in STEM education. The incubator brought together a diverse cohort of experimental social psychologists who study social cues in STEM, experimental cognitive psychologists who study learning in authentic classroom settings, as well as education stakeholders and technologists with expertise in digital infrastructure for education. In Phase 1 we conducted a needs assessment, where we brainstormed aspirational research studies and identified three core infrastructure requirements: coordinated data collection and measurement systems, sustainable large-scale research–practice partnership frameworks, and knowledge repositories combined with professional learning networks. In Phase 2 we designed an integrated solution to address these needs. The INTERACT Incubator’s solution differs from existing research infrastructure because ours was systematically designed to address research needs identified by the field itself, rather than building research services on top of existing research capacities or operational systems. This commentary documents a consensus vision for novel infrastructure that would enable the research needed to achieve meaningful progress in STEM education.