This concluding paper examines the contributions in this Guest Issue by locating them within the ongoing debates about the role and contribution of social science research, particularly through the production of journals. Set in the context of on-going attacks on the relevance of social science research and the failure to respond to major crises…

Environmental education is an important strategy in addressing environmental problems faced by communities around the world. In this article, the author particularly keen to know how the act of "doing research" will advance the field of environmental education and as such contribute to the solution of broader environmental problems. The author…

Phelan (2000) has produced a complex bibliometric analysis of the international contribution of Australian educational research based upon publications and citations reported in the journals indexed by the Institute for Scientific Information--the Standard & Poors of the academic world. This paper examines Phelan's analysis, showing its…

The relationship between research and policy and practice in education is a long-standing issue in many countries. Focusing on the UK Government, which is responsible for education in England, this paper looks at the criticisms of education research that have been made in recent years by government and related non-departmental public bodies and…

This article presents a critical review of complexity theory in relation to educational research. The "analytical reductionist" approach is one in which the educational researcher seeks to reduce complex wholes to particular factors and to identify correlations between them and desirable outcomes. Complexity theory shows how this approach in…

In this article, the author argues for a central and critical role for "reflexivity in research" with the aim of developing and strengthening not only everyone's understanding of what everyone does in environmental education research, but also how, and why everyone does it. In a narrative account of methodological issues that occurred…

Addresses some of the recent criticism aimed at educational research, its failure to provide a sound base for teaching or to generate a cumulative body of knowledge. Answers that there is always a dichotomy between research and application and argues that restrictions would only worsen the situation. (MJP)

These proceedings are presented in three parts. The first, "The CPAE (Commission of Professors of Adult Education) and Its Mission," contains seven presentations: "Some Observations on the Role of the Commission of Professors" (Collins); "Which Way? This Way and That Way: Recommendations from the Task Forces" (Blunt);…