Design-based research: Possibilities for practice, theory, and practical wisdom in character education research

This article describes the process and potential of using design-based research (DBR) within character education research. As practitioners and researchers attempt to implement and evaluate new pedagogies that cultivate character across contexts, DBR offers one approach for generating theories of learning while addressing pressing problems of practice. The authors describe DBR as an approach that can encourage practical wisdom as it is responsive to contexts, goal-directed, collaborative, and iterative. To help illustrate two widely-adopted components of DBR—phases and cycles, and conjecture mapping—they describe two of their ongoing DBR projects, Project VITE and Wisdom at Work. The article suggests possible contributions of design-based research to character education research, including the development of innovative pedagogies, cumulative design knowledge, theories of teaching and learning, and stakeholder capacity.