Building the Bridge Between Science and Practice: Essential Characteristics of a Translational Framework

Abstract

ABSTRACT Mind, brain, and education is a field developed with two key purposes: (1) to accelerate the knowledge developed through research by using an interdisciplinary approach, and (2) to create a bridge to connect and apply this knowledge to educational practice. While great progress has been made with regard to the interdisciplinary efforts of mind, brain and education, a chasm remains between the fields of science and educational practice. This article presents the case for bridging that chasm through the development of a translational and bidirectional framework that allows the fields of science and educational practice to access and influence each other. The characteristics of such a framework are proposed as theory‐driven and perspective‐neutral, interdisciplinary and interdependent, grounded in the science of development, context‐sensitive, and allowing for falsifiability. Potential enablers for the successful implementation of such a framework are proposed.