coordinator of Kendon Professional Development School in Lansing, Michigan. HOW DO TEACHERS UNDERSTAND RESEARCH WHEN THEY READ IT?1

Reading research is closely interwoven with teachers ' and prospective teachers ' learning about teaching. Good (1989), for example, argues that "professionals or teachers who are too busy to read are not professionals " (p. 35). While Good's conception of a professional may seem idiosyncratic or tautological, the relevance of teachers ' reading research makes sense. All prospective teachers read research in their foundations and methods courses. Teachers read research in their graduate education courses and sometimes read it for inservices and professional meetings. Based on the amount of research teachers read and are expected to read throughout their preparation as teachers and their continuing education, reading research is one important way teachers learn about teaching. Teachers, of course, learn about teaching from sources unconnected to educational research—most notably their own teaching experiences. Teachers also can learn from research without reading it. Researchers, for example, may discuss research with teachers, and teachers learn from these discussions without reading the research. These points suggest that educational research is one, among other, sources for learning about teaching and that reading research is not necessary in order for teachers to learn about teaching from research