Skip to main content
Log in

Why innovate with education?

  • Published:
Educational Psychology Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pressley and Harris have correctly highlighted many unfortunate limits of educational intervention research and institutions for disseminating research reports. They have suggested useful changes in how intervention research is done, and, except possibly for their emphasis on faithful replication, they have argued correctly that the changes are feasible. Unfortunately, they represent educational intervention research as being important primarily as guidance for educational reformers. I argue that research does not guide educational intervention, and that even if it is improved in the required ways they suggest it will not guide educational innovation. Instead, the valuable function of their analysis is that it could improve the scientific quality of educational research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Butterfield, E. C., and Dickerson, D. J. (1976). Cognitive theory and mental development. In Ellis, N. R. (ed.),International Review of Research in Mental Retardation. Academic Press, New York, pp. 105–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butterfield, E. C., Siladi, D., and Belmont, J. M. (1980). Validating theories of intelligence. In Reese, H. and Lipsitt, L. P. (eds.),Advances in Child Development and Child Behavior. Academic Press, New York, pp. 96–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtzman, T. G., Pellegrino, J. W., and Glaser, R. (1976). Process training derived from a computer simulation theory.Memory Cognit. 4: 349–356.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarason, S. (1990).The Predictable Failure of Educational Reform. Jossey Bass, San Francisco, pp. xi-98.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Butterfield, E.C. Why innovate with education?. Educ Psychol Rev 6, 209–214 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02213182

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02213182

Key Words

Navigation