Advancing educational policy by advancing research on instruction

Raudenbush, S.W. (2008). Advancing educational policy by advancing research on instruction. American Educational Research Journal, 45(1), 206-230.


This article makes the case that research paradigms that are the “gold standard” in medicine (e.g., randomized clinical trials) are not that easily applicable to the study of the effectiveness of various kinds of “instructional regimes.” Education is not entirely like medicine. In education, social factors can have a strong influence on the effectiveness of an instructional method. Peers and teachers can affect how well a “treatment” is enacted and/or how well it “works.” In medicine, if I take a pill, who else takes it or even who prescribes it won’t make a difference. Also, in education, just because something is intended to be done a certain way doesn’t mean it actually is, so implementation fidelity must be studied. Moreover, when you study learners over time, things change, both within the context and within the learner. The authors make their point strongly and situate their argument within the issue of whether and how research shows impacts of expenditures on student learning, but it could also apply to other issues. Main point: “Scientific” research needs a broader definition.