This essay briefly describes some of the early AERA presidents who were empiricists, several of them directors of research, and how their work connects with some of the issues of design, measurement, analysis, and interpretation today. Beginning with the first president of AERA, a number of presidents through the late 1940s are highlighted, as…

This article outlines how a theory of narrative can be used to deconstruct qualitative research texts. Although research texts are a distinct genre in comparison with works of fiction, the basic components of literary activity are similar. Researchers structure and emphasize data and participants in various ways to tell a logical story. Narrative…

The author suggests that we apply recent research knowledge to improve our conceptualization, measures, and methodology for studying the effects of teachers' professional development on teachers and students. She makes the case that there is a research consensus to support the use of a set of core features and a common conceptual framework in…

The way in which researchers view education differs fundamentally from the way in which teachers view education. These different outlooks are (partly) a consequence of the different work roles of researchers and teachers. This article explores the question of whether it is really inevitable that research and practice each establish different views…

Action research in education has gained increasing attention in the past 20 years. It is viewed as a practical yet systematic research method that enables teachers to investigate their own teaching and their students' learning. However, the ethical issues unique to this form of insider research have received less attention. Drawing on several…

Considers Aristotelian and Galilean views of the relationship between theory and empirical research, and argues that current models in research on teaching are Aristotelian in overly emphasizing the empirical and methodological branches of research programs to the detriment of the theoretical and conceptual. (SLD)

Explores problems involved in the quantitative verification of independent variables in investigations of the effects on student outcomes of planned variations in instructional behavior. Specifically addresses (1) gathering of data through direct systematic observation, and (2) analysis of those data through the use of inferential statistics. (GC)

Education researchers, practitioners, and policymakers alike are committed to identifying interventions that teach students more effectively. Increased emphasis on evaluation and accountability has increased desire for sound evaluations of these interventions; and at the same time, school-level data have become increasingly available. This article…

Argues that although it is often thought and said that what we most need in education is wisdom and broad understanding of the issues that confront us, what we really need are deeply structured theories in education that drastically reduce, if not eliminate, the need for wisdom. (Author/JM)

Studies comparing the external characteristics of instructional methods have obscured the most important variable which accounts for learning from instruction: macroprocesses, or the frequency and intensity with which students cognitively process instructional input. Further research on macroprocesses may be a meeting point between the psychology…

Discusses possible contributions of research on teacher thinking. Examines arguments made against the present or potential contributions of research to teacher education. Shows how the dangers that give rise to these fears can be avoided without simultaneously eschewing the positive contributions of research. (JS)

Argues that ignorance is a better criterion than truth for determining the usefulness of knowledge generated through educational research. Implications for conceptualizing and teaching research are discussed, illustrating how attention to ignorance can increase understanding in areas such as practitioner research and cooperative research. (SLD)

Traces the development of teacher education research, discussing five segments of recent scholarship and their contributions to teacher education policy and practice: survey research, case studies, conceptual and historical research, studies of learning to teach, and examinations of the nature and impact of teacher education activities, including…

Wilson's stance on research and teaching practices leads to the conclusion that only those with certain conceptions of teaching and research can be effective researcher/teachers. It will be more beneficial to the field of educational research to believe that a wide variety of practices may be appropriate for researcher/teachers. (SLD)

Explores reasons for the tenuous relationship between educational research and educational practice. Suggests changes in research and policy to bring educational research directly to bear on educational problems. The major problem is that researchers are searching for variables that relate to improved outcomes, whereas educational innovators are…