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The Untested Accusation: Principals, Research Knowledge and Policy Making in Schools

The Untested Accusation: Principals, Research Knowledge and Policy Making in Schools BOOK REVIEW The untested accusation: Principals, research knowledge and policy making in schools Bruce J. Biddle and Lawrence J. Saha Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Education, 2005 ISBN: 1567506224 Criticisms have long been circulating in some quarters of the United States and Australia that education research is ‘far inferior to research in other fields’. This book aims to rebut these criticisms. The authors, Bruce Biddle and Lawrence Saha, are eminent scholars: Biddle from the University of Missouri and Saha from the Australian National University. Biddle and Saha have taken the position that the best way to present their case is to show the extent to which educational research is used by a key interest group—school principals—thereby assuming a link between quality of research and its take-up. The evidence that they present is based on surveys and intensive interviews of prin- cipals from Missouri (eighty-one) and from South Australia and the ACT (thirty-nine in total). The book is well written and the evidence clearly presented. The study’s usefulness is weakened by the authors’ conservative view of the forms of inquiry that constitute research. They define research as ‘disciplined empirical investi- gations conducted by experts’, thereby excluding action research and other forms of http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Australian Journal of Education SAGE

The Untested Accusation: Principals, Research Knowledge and Policy Making in Schools

Angus, Max
Australian Journal of Education , Volume 50 (2): 2 – Aug 1, 2006
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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 2006 Australian Council for Educational Research
ISSN
0004-9441
eISSN
2050-5884
DOI
10.1177/000494410605000209
Publisher site
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Abstract

BOOK REVIEW The untested accusation: Principals, research knowledge and policy making in schools Bruce J. Biddle and Lawrence J. Saha Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Education, 2005 ISBN: 1567506224 Criticisms have long been circulating in some quarters of the United States and Australia that education research is ‘far inferior to research in other fields’. This book aims to rebut these criticisms. The authors, Bruce Biddle and Lawrence Saha, are eminent scholars: Biddle from the University of Missouri and Saha from the Australian National University. Biddle and Saha have taken the position that the best way to present their case is to show the extent to which educational research is used by a key interest group—school principals—thereby assuming a link between quality of research and its take-up. The evidence that they present is based on surveys and intensive interviews of prin- cipals from Missouri (eighty-one) and from South Australia and the ACT (thirty-nine in total). The book is well written and the evidence clearly presented. The study’s usefulness is weakened by the authors’ conservative view of the forms of inquiry that constitute research. They define research as ‘disciplined empirical investi- gations conducted by experts’, thereby excluding action research and other forms of

Journal

Australian Journal of Education – SAGE

Published: Aug 1, 2006

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