Research in prekindergarten to grade 12 education and ATOD prevention consists of the information, knowledge, and analysis that scholars and practitioners contribute to these fields of inquiry.
Research systematically generates and tests hypotheses through concentrated study, usually building upon previous research. Universities, research laboratories, and other scholarly institutions conduct much of the research being published today.
Best practice is a term for strategies and methodologies that have been shown to be highly effective at achieving a certain desirable outcome. For example, lessons that use real-life problems to illustrate academic concepts keep students more engaged in coursework than context-free lessons. Therefore, using authentic, contextualized illustrations to teach academic skills is considered an educational "best practice."
Best practices often draw on research to substantiate their effectiveness, and researchers frequently look to best practice to illuminate subjects that may merit further inquiry.