
Understanding the relationship between policies and practices; learning the history and context of an issue; identifying key stakeholders and decision-makers about the issue; and knowing how to influence stakeholders, policies and practices, are key to making a deep and sustainable impact. Students should understand that different approaches apply to policies and practices, but both are important and interconnected.
Use the following tools to:
- How to identify credible sources of, and access, quality information about an issue
- How to facilitate research with students when you’re not an expert in the subject and how expert volunteers help
- How to determine when you have enough information to select a single policy or practice to change
This video provides a brief overview of Step Three of the Community Action and Problem-Solving Process.
Step 3 Resources
A Note on Facilitation: Researching in a distance learning environment can look different depending on your students’ access to technology. All types of research can be conducted from home, online searches are not the only option.
Consider the following tips and resources to help students research independently:
Trello: An online team communication tool where educators can oversee student communication. Use this to create research teams and help them communicate their findings.
Emphasize Community Knowledge: Have students interview and/or survey their parents, peers, and other community members about their selected issue. This does not require technology and can add depth to the research experience.
As mentioned in Step 2, use Fun Retro to organize research committees’ thoughts and group their findings in a logical way.

Understanding Policies and Practices
Distinguishing Policy and Community Practice: An Introduction
What’s In Your Backpack? Activity: Understanding Policy and Practice
Examples of Policies and Practices
Policies and Practices Related to Our Issue
Generating Quality Research Questions
The 5 Whys Method of Questioning
Conducting Research: A Lesson in Policy, Practice, and Stakeholder Research
Developing Burning Questions- 2 Activity Options
Check out our Research Key Element page for more information!
Research Maps for Data Organization
Historical Timelines
Empathy Mapping
Stakeholder Mapping- 2 Activity Options
Reflections- Transitioning to Step 4
The Change I’d Like to See
Step 3 Reflection Post-Research