Knowledge Production

Knowledge Production is a collection from an impressive international group of educational researchers that explores issues in the production of knowledge about educational phenomena in contemporary society. What emerged from their collaboration is an exploration of the epistemological, methodological, and ethical-political issues arising from the process of knowledge production. The authors are drawn from three continents - North America, Australia and Europe - and bring diverse perspectives to issues of international concern. Each chapter in the book presents individual responses to the need to challenge assumptions that underpin the conduct of educational research, on the part of both policy makers who sponsor it directly or indirectly, and the educational researchers who carry it out. The authors address disturbances in educational research practice. for example, they discuss: - how globalisation is increasing educational opportunities for students and education providers while, at the same time, teachers and teacher educators are heavily constrained by a risk-averse audit culture - how human capital theory dominates the rationale for educational endeavours from a policy perspective while, at the same time, others pursue agendas of education as a means of social transformation and personal growth - how the idea of usable knowledge seems so obviously apparent while just what it is 'used for' is not all that settled - how on the one hand being accountable for our words and deeds is something we all think virtuous, while on the other hand we reject the idea that accountability is solely to be determined by performance, and so on. These disturbances, taken collectively, constitute interesting times in which to be doing educational research. This collection invites readers to consider what these times mean for their own practice of educational research. The book both breaks new ground and sets the tone for discussions about the future path of educational research in the coming years.Schwandt, Thomas A. is the author of 'Knowledge Production' with ISBN 9780415442282 and ISBN 0415442281.