American Educational Research Association

Governance and divisions: the organization's governance structure is comprised of the council, executive board, and committees. Ad hoc committees, task forces and working groups may also be established for specific purposes and for limited periods. There are also 12 divisions of aera which are organized to represent major scholarly or scientific areas within education research that add to the field. Each division is responsible for planning division-sponsored sessions for the annual meeting and facilitating ongoing communications among division members through listserv and other communications mechanisms throughout the year. Divisions also offer other programming.

Professional development: the aera professional development program builds capacity and enhances research skills among graduate students, early career scholars, senior scholars, and others who produce and use education research. This program involves professional development courses, and training initiatives in research methods and conceptual and analytic issues related to research excellence in the field. Advances in research methods, statistical techniques, technology, and general modes and methods of research make professional development within aera a continuing and ongoing process.

Membership and special interest groups (sigs): aera is dedicated to advancing education research and its practical applications. Membership is open to individuals involved in and committed to education research, including researchers, faculty members, practitioners and policymakers dedicated to the sound use of research evidence, post doctoral scholars, and graduate students. Aera seeks to foster a diverse community that reflects the broad spectrum of education research fields and specialties. Aera offers five categories of membership: regular, early career, affiliate, graduate student, and retired. Aera's members benefit from a variety of resources and opportunities, including access to aera's publications; reduced registration fees for the annual aera conference; professional development and training opportunities; networking opportunities with scholars and practitioners in the field of education research; eligibility to serve on aera committees, boards, and leadership positions; and regular updates on education research, policy developments, and funding opportunities. Aera supports a robust network of special interest groups (sigs), which focus on specific areas of education research. These groups enable aera members to connect, collaborate, and share resources related to their specific interests. Each sig is governed by elected officers and operates under guidelines established by aera. Sig members participate in the selection of leadership and have a voice in shaping the group's direction and activities. The active participation of aera's members and sigs contributes to the broader education research community as members engage in collaborative projects, annual meeting sessions and activities, as well as advocate for policies that support education research, and mentor emerging researchers. This collective effort enhances the quality and impact of education research across diverse contexts.

Supporting programs: other support programs that align with aera's mission to promote education research include aera's efforts in communications and outreach, social justice, and government relations. Aera's communications and outreach efforts aim to disseminate research findings, promote education research, and engage stakeholders in meaningful dialogue about education research by producing reports, briefs, and press releases that summarize and spotlight key research findings, events, and aera initiatives. Through high-profile public events, such as the annual brown lecture in education research, aera strives to illuminate the important role of research in advancing understanding of education and learning across contexts and levels of education. Aera also utilizes social media platforms and the aera website to share information, highlight research projects, and engage with researchers, educational leaders, and the public. Aera promotes social justice in education research by advocating for and addressing issues relating to equity, diversity, and inclusion in research settings. Aera's government relations program aims to promote and support research in education through informed public policy. Key aspects of the program include: education and advocacy for education research; research policy briefings and reports; testimonies and responses to federal register and other requests for comments, including in collaboration with other scientific associations and related research associations aiming to advance research of the highest quality and integrity. Each of these components contributes to aera's overall mission to advance knowledge about education and learning and improve the use of findings, evidence, and data.

Publications: aera offers a comprehensive program of scholarly publications to advance education research, to disseminate knowledge, and to improve the capacity of the profession to serve the public good. The purposes of the aera publications program are to foster research and disseminate results to members, professionals in related disciplines, educators, and society. In addition to publishing seven journals, aera also serves as a publisher of books of excellence and importance to the education research community, and to practitioners and policy makers interested in education research.

Education research and research advancement: aera pursues projects, initiatives, and activities to advance the field of education research, promote cutting-edge lines of study, and deepen knowledge about education research as a discipline, profession, and field. Key activities include aera's research conferences program, which awards grants for conferences intended to break new ground in substantive areas of inquiry, stimulate new lines of study on issues that have been largely unexplored, or develop innovative research methods or techniques that can contribute to education research, international activities, and aera's education research service projects program, which is designed to encourage education researchers to offer their pro bono expertise to educational organizations, institutions, or other community groups that have identified and expressed a need for such assistance.