Relevant evidence

Circumstances

The results of studies may not be applicable or transferable if the circumstances in which the interventions were compared are very different from those of interest.

Some intervention comparisons are designed to find out if an approach can work under ideal circumstances, for example with learners who are most likely to benefit, or with highly trained practitioners who deliver the treatment exactly as intended. These comparisons, which are sometimes called explanatory or efficacy studies, may not reflect what happens under usual circumstances.

For example, most neuroscientific studies are carried out in highly-controlled lab settings, which is important to ensure comparable results, but makes it difficult to directly apply insights to classrooms.

BEWARE that the results of studies with the aim of finding out if a treatment can work may overestimate the benefits of an intervention under more usual circumstances.

REMEMBER that just because an intervention worked under ideal circumstances does not necessarily mean that it will work in your classroom.