Guarding the Castle and Opening the Gates

Abstract

The passage of No Child Left Behind legislation and the publication of the National Research Council’s Scientific Research in Education have generated much discussion and criticism of the call for educational research and evaluation that is more scientific. Using examples from their own field research and evaluation experiences, the authors illustrate their concerns with the concepts and principles of scientific-based research. They propose both qualitative and quantitative methods are critical for studying the structural, political, systemic issues that surround complex educational issues and organizations. The authors call for the creation of a space for public engagement to include the public’s collective wisdom and experiences to discuss and deliberate educational issues and generate possible solutions.