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Education research: a nebulous miasma of jumbled words and ideas

By Peter Ridd - posted Monday, 7 March 2005


Second, what exactly is the benefit of this “research” at the classroom level - the only place that counts? I am not sure what the project is about, but apparently it is going to contribute to “a different, more socially aware understanding of teachers’ work”. So what! Do we really need to do this when we have a large percentage of teachers who cannot recognise a syllable and many science degree students who cannot do basic arithmetic, even with a calculator?

It is certain that educational research affects what happens in school. The current fads for whole word teaching of reading, degrading the role of algebra in mathematics, the politicisation of both English and History and the use of “holistic judgements” for assessment purposes are all due to educational “research”.

But maybe I have got this terribly wrong. I suspect there is some good research out there, but it has just been ignored because it does not fit the latest modern trend. It is probably unfair to expect an educational revolution similar to that precipitated by the introduction of quantum mechanics in physics. One can’t expect a three-year-old to be able to solve differential equations, however it would be nice to see some fruits of the research, by the application of good research, and the focus of research on things that matter.

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At the moment, the best that might be said is that educational research may have produced some marginal improvements in teaching. The worst-case scenario is that, with the emphasis on trendy fads and political correctness, it is quite possible that educational research has done more harm than good.

So my challenge to educational researchers is simple.

Justify your existence.

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About the Author

Peter Ridd is a Reader in Physics at James Cook University specialising in Marine Physics. He is also a scientific adviser to the Australian Environment Foundation.

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