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…

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…