Scientific research in education: an analysis of federal policy

Abstract

From as early at the 1840s, the United States federal government has been directly involved in education research and development. With the passage of No Child Left Behind (2001) and the Education Sciences Reform Act (2002), this involvement has increased dramatically. This dissertation evaluates the ethical and epistemological justifications for various proposed federal interventions in education research. It argues in support of two theses. The first is that the primary aim of interventions in the political economy of education research must be to get agents to pursue capital through the process of mutual criticism rather than through political maneuvering. Only through the former can these interventions be assured to increase the rigor and relevance or research. The second is that the proper intervention strategy is to try to shape the “durable dispositions” of those involved in education research, rather than to force adherence to technical rules or ethical norms