Commentary: Who Sets Trends in Science Education? I Comment on Four Exemplary Book Chapters

Abstract

How does research develop in a certain area like science education? Who defines research areas? How does a country get on board by providing suitable environments and standards? How can researchers cooperate successfully to raise the quality and the variety of research approaches and research foci? These questions are raised and discussed in several chapters of this book. The explored developments in Asian countries could for sure raise similar questions also in other areas of the world, and might lead to a worldwide reflection of the state of research in our broad field of science education. They might also initiate some critical thinking about influences that might not always foster an enrichment of science education research, but perhaps, on the contrary, a narrowing mind by copying well-established approaches (only). How can research communities develop standards without taking the risk of developing monocultures predominantly?