Educational Research and Development in England - Examiners' Report
Over the past 20 years, the status of educational R&D in England, as determined by the government, has reached both a low and a high. Prior to the 1980s, much research, in particular action research, was promoted by organisations such as the Schools' Council and the Assessment Performance Unit. The low occurred in the 1980s during an era of educational reform that culminated in the adoption of a national curriculum. At the time, it was considered that educational R&D was unnecessary - the reformers believed that they already knew what they had to do to improve the quality of education. The formula was a national curriculum with clear standards, aligned assessments, reduction of regulations for schools, and accountability for results. In implementing these policies, the reformers expected the system to improve continuously, using assessment/accountability as a feedback mechanism to correct failures. Educational R&D in general received little government attention, and few resources were provided for research or evaluation addressing issues related to the implementation of the reforms.
Long abstract
