Some subscribers to Phys-L might be interested in a recent post "Is
'Education Research' 'Scientific Research' ? YES!" [Hake (2012)].
The abstract reads:
*********************************************
ABSTRACT: GS Chandy at <http://bit.ly/PfqJqt> wrote (liberally
paraphrasing and drastically condensing); "Judging from his posts on
the over 40-post Math-Teach thread 'Jo Boaler reveals attacks by
Milgram and Bishop' at <http://bit.ly/Ty9tbf>, Robert Hansen is wrong
in his claim that 'Education Research' is not 'Scientific Research.' "
To which Hansen at <http://bit.ly/RHESbF> responded with the
following statement (paraphrasing) of which the 2nd and 3rd sentences
are blatantly false (as I indicate in this post): "In scientific
research, conclusions are tested repeatedly by many different
researchers. In educational research, they are not. One does a study,
claims success, publishes it and that is the end of it."
The National Academies' "Scientific Research in Education" at
<http://bit.ly/VjrQaV> suggests six guiding principles that underlie
all scientific inquiry, including education research: (1) Pose
Significant Questions That Can Be Investigated Empirically, (2) Link
Research to Relevant Theory, (3) Use Methods That Permit Direct
Investigation of the Question, (4) Provide a Coherent and Explicit
Chain of Reasoning, (5) Replicate and Generalize Across Studies, and
(6) Disclose Research to Encourage Professional Scrutiny and Critique.
In my opinion Jo Boaler's research - see the material at
<http://bit.ly/R6XsuP> & <http://joboaler.com/> and Boaler & Staples
(2008) at <http://bit.ly/R8FGsG> - satisfies all the above criteria,
whereas the unpublished, undated, and referenceless denunciation of
Boaler's research by Bishop, Clopton, & Milgram at
<http://tinyurl.com/czsa4c> does not.
*********************************************
REFERENCES [All URL's shortened by <http://bit.ly/> and accessed on
19 Oct 2012.]
Hake, R.R. 2012. "Is 'Education Research' 'Scientific Research' ?
YES!" online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at <http://bit.ly/Vdj88z>.
Post of 19 Oct 2012 13:11:11-0700 to AERA-L and Net-Gold. The
abstract and link to the complete post are being transmitted to
several discussion lists and are also on my blog "Hake'sEdStuff" at
<http://bit.ly/OPmCjt> with a provision for comments.