Method of Research and Information Dissemination
He is best known for his distinctive style of research, which leads to him often being called upon to comment on the issues of the day. His early experience in science led him to the view that educational researchers are wrong in aping the scientific paradigm. While science studies a relatively enduring reality, educational research often aims to capture a fast changing scene when accurate information needs to be got to policy-makers and practitioners as quickly as possible. Having published over a hundred papers he came to the view that peer-reviewed journals are not the most appropriate medium for disseminating findings since they are too slow and directed at the wrong audience. He has concentrated on getting out results as quickly as possible through reports and the media. He guards against the bias from prior value positions to which educational research is vulnerable by drawing financial support from a plurality of funders.
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