The importance of educational research
Abstract
'Yes, but...'The importance of educational research SAGE Publications, Inc.1998DOI: 10.1177/136548029800100213 Harvey Goldstein Department of Mathematical Sciences, Institute of Education, University of London ohn Bangs ends his article on research in the first issue of Improving Schools (Bangs, 1998) by claiming that it 'has to offer practical solutions to problems... has to be recognisable as important and has to connect with teacher's perceptions' . Such views about research resonate with those of many others at a time when educational research is being closely scrutinised by the DfEE and OFSTED, and when university funding for research is increasingly being diverted to agencies outside the traditional research community culture such as the TTA. General critiques of educational research are also being made from within the research community by people such as David Hargreaves and in more specific areas by academics critical, for example, of school effectiveness and improvement research (Hargreaves, 1996, White and Barber, 1997). In this article I shall try respond to what I consider to be inaccurate perceptions of educational research and to suggest how those who are responsible for promoting and funding research, in collaboration with researchers themselves, can achieve a more satisfactory climate for good research to