Does Educational Research Matter?*

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article endeavours to set British educational research in the context of national and international economic developments and to take account of national educational policy making and educational practice. It addresses seven questions: What does the term educational research include? What are the major tasks of educational research? What are its successes? What are its failures? Why is educational research attacked so frequently? Would we miss it if it did not exist? How can we enhance the value of educational research? It is argued that the scope of educational research is broad, covering different techniques and methodologies and many aspects of the educative process, both formal and informal. Four main tasks emerge: to observe and record systematically; to analyse and draw out implications; to publish findings; and, crucially, to attempt to improve educational processes and outcomes. British educational researchers can point to a substantial corpus of successful work, ranging from large‐scale longitudinal cohort studies to powerful individual case studies; to studies of differential effectiveness, school organisation, curriculum and assessment, inequality and discrimination. Many such studies have influenced policy and practice. But success should not blind the research community to its shortcomings‐the gaps in knowledge, the inaccessibility of some writing, the mediocrity of some work, and the ways in which researchers relate to those involved in, or affected by, research or those whom it is hoped will be influenced by it. Public perceptions of these shortcomings‐some well founded, others driven by prejudice‐underlie many of the attacks to which researchers and their work are regularly subjected. Whilst educational research might not be missed (even gladly dismissed) by some practitioners and policy makers, this paper argues that the work is essential if independent questioning and impartial evaluations of policy and practice are to take place. We should, however, make every effort to enhance our work. To this end we need to take note of the various BERA Codes of Practice, invest in developing our members' repertoires of research techniques and constantly guard against bias in our work. We must also continue our efforts to relate positively to the elected government of the day. In doing all of these things we must hold fast to our BERA values. We must do what we have been trained to do ask difficult questions demand evidence, rather than anecdote, for answers generate, through our research, new knowledge formulate new theories speak up for what we believe is right A democratic society expects‐and deserves‐nothing less.

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