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

This book begins by reviewing the many accusations that have been hurled at educational research over the years—statements claiming that its methods are flawed, that it is devalued by users, and that it has very little impact on policy. Such claims concern issues of fact, but, surprisingly, studies have not appeared that would support or challenge them. The authors then describe such a study and report its findings. They provide a conceptual model for thinking about the problem, review prior materials that are related to their topic, and provide details of their study that was based on interviews with 120 school principals in the United States and Australia. These interviews generated quantitative as well as qualitative data, and substantive chapters of the book provide access to both—the former often summarized in the form of graphs and other visual materials, the latter presented as extensive quotes using principals' own words. Major topics assessed during the study included: principals' reports about exposure to sources where research knowledge is portrayed; principals' attitudes concerning research knowledge and innovation in schools; the breadth and depth of research knowledge principals volunteer to talk about; principals' familiarity with preselected research topics; and the ways in which research knowledge is used in principals' schools. Findings from the study provide a direct challenge to repeated claims about the supposedly feckless character of educational research and its weak impact. In addition, they provide insights about conditions leading to greater use of research knowledge among principals and their schools, as well as how the use of that knowledge may vary depending on national context.

Table of Contents:
Does Research on Education Have an Impact? Thinking Out the Problem A Design for Investigation Principals' Exposure to Knowledge Sources Principals' Opinions About Research and Innovation Research Knowledge That Principals Volunteer Research Knowledge That Principals Recognize Principals' Reported Use of Research Knowledge Findings, Conclusions, and Implications References Appendix A1: Interview Schedule Appendix A2: Interview Schedule Supplement Appendix A3: List A--Types of Information Sources for Technical Knowledge Appendix A4: List B--Examples of Research-Generated Knowledge Appendix B1: Supplementary Questionnaire (American Version) Appendix B2: Supplementary Questionnaire (Australian Version) Index

About the Author :
BRUCE J. BIDDLE is Professor Emeritus of Psychology and of Sociology, the University of Missouri. LAWRENCE J. SAHA is Reader in Sociology, the Australian National University.

Review :
"This book is a highly important demonstration that educational practitioners do know about and do value education research, and that it informs their thinking and their practice. Based on interviews with principals in the U.S. and Australia, it effectively counters arguments that education research is irrelevant, and thus gives significant support to the authors' call for improvements in research and dissemination efforts."-Carol Hirschon Weiss Beatrice B. Whiting Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education "This book reports a study of how school principals in Australia and the United States view and use research knowledge and provides a fascinating response to this all too common accusation. Biddle and Saha should be applauded for their efforts which have potential to change educational policy and practice, the support provided for educational research, and the manner in which that research is conducted."-John Keeves The Flinders University of South Australia "Biddle and Saha show that the highly negative view of educational research is larely myth, and certainly is not based on serious studies of what goes on in schools and what key school-based professionals really think about educational research....To my mind, this is by far the most important recent contribution to discussion of the use made of educational research....It changes the whole debate and has major imlications for government support of educational research and what strategies educational researchers might best employ to disseminate the results of their work....[t]he findings from Biddle and Saha's work demonstrates that school principals in both Australia and America have positive attitudes to educational research. They find research useful, they are well informed about key research traditions and findings, and they can report incidents of the application of research knowlage in their schools."-Campus Review ?Biddle and Saha show that the highly negative view of educational research is larely myth, and certainly is not based on serious studies of what goes on in schools and what key school-based professionals really think about educational research....To my mind, this is by far the most important recent contribution to discussion of the use made of educational research....It changes the whole debate and has major imlications for government support of educational research and what strategies educational researchers might best employ to disseminate the results of their work....[t]he findings from Biddle and Saha's work demonstrates that school principals in both Australia and America have positive attitudes to educational research. They find research useful, they are well informed about key research traditions and findings, and they can report incidents of the application of research knowlage in their schools.?-Campus Review ?Given the accumulation over the last 20 years of growing evidence that principals are pivotal to the improvement of student learning, combined with the recognition of this fact and a call for "scientifically based" practices in the No Child Left Behind Act, Bibble and Saha offer timely recommendations that can enchance the use of research knowledge for educational renewal.?-NASSP Bulletin "Given the accumulation over the last 20 years of growing evidence that principals are pivotal to the improvement of student learning, combined with the recognition of this fact and a call for "scientifically based" practices in the No Child Left Behind Act, Bibble and Saha offer timely recommendations that can enchance the use of research knowledge for educational renewal."-NASSP Bulletin