Educational research is repeatedly confronted with the question of its relevance. Current interpretations of relevance narrowly focus on outcomes and impact of research. In this essay, we propose an alternative, ontological conceptualization of relevance, arguing that more is at stake than outcomes and impact. We characterize the ontology of…

In this article I explore epistemological diversity in the field of second language acquisition (SLA) from the perspective that obtains if we examine the moral ends of research, and we ask: In what ways does epistemological diversity relate to enhancing the social value and educational relevance of the research generated by the instructed SLA…

Policy has been a much neglected area for research in science education. In their neglect of policy studies, researchers have maintained an ongoing naivete about the politics of science education. In doing so, they often overestimate the implications of their research findings about practice and ignore the interplay between the stakeholders beyond…

The assumption that education is a means of achieving equality in our society has been brought into question by social science. (DM)

Presidential address at the American Psychological Association meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, September 1972. Examines some implications of diversity with regard to psychology in relation to other disciplines, as well as within psychology itself. (DM)

This book focuses on understanding knowledge and learning in the contexts of economic development and social cohesion. A preliminary overview is presented of the knowledge processes at work in different sectors, and the book identifies a number of ways in which microlevel or sectoral understanding of the knowledge-based economy is important in…

The influence of biological science research on the development of physical education curriculum is examined in this paper. The social construction of scientific knowledge is described as occurring in the selection of problems to be studied, the collection and interpretation of data, the dissemination of results, and the educational uses of…

Thirty papers are presented from a symposium devoted to the problems of the main trends in the research of the content and methods of inservice teacher education. Symposium participants represented the educational systems of Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Cuba, Romania, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and Czechoslovakia. In all…

In rebuttal to H. Lee Swanson's paper, "Toward a Metatheory of Learning Disabilities," this article emphasizes that a bias toward applied research in learning disabilities is appropriate, that explanatory theories may not provide control over the phenomena explained, and that the field's orientation toward social consensus rather than…

This response to H. Lee Swanson's paper, "Toward a Metatheory of Learning Disabilities," argues that the field's development from social consensus has positive consequences and that the field is a "prenormal' science. A megatheory is suggested, incorporating metatheoretical aspects of the learning-disabled's information processing…

Contends that there is a growing trend in moral philosophy to return to the use of examples from everyday life to analyze moral virtue and character traits. Recommends the use of vignettes from well-known literature and actual contemporary events to illustrate moral dilemmas and ethical choices. (CFR)

This critique of H. Lee Swanson's "Toward a Metatheory of Learning Disabilities" comments on Swanson's concept of learning disabilities, cognitive science, and information processing theory. A different research and theory-building agenda is proposed, focusing on society's definition of learning disabilities and instructional issues and…

This paper examines conflicts and collaboration between industry and universities regarding sponsored research and freedom of publication, particularly in the United Kingdom. An opening section notes that the values of the market and the university are in fundamental conflict which presents problems for institutions attempting to work in…

Traditional quantitative-experimental models of evaluation have failed to contribute to educational reform; they should be supplemented by qualitative-subjective models, which can be grouped under the rubric of naturalistic, or non-experimental evaluation. This naturalistic approach does not attempt to be value-free; rather, it recognizes that…

Reflecting a convergence of public policy and scientific interest in the role of fathers in families, and recognizing the crucial need to examine the demographic and social processes bringing men into fathering roles and influencing their role enactment, this report summarizes presentations and recommendations of the Conference on Fathering and…