Criticism of Education Policy as a Field of Knowledge

Abstract

Much of the literature on education policy has been devoted to understanding the factors involved in the shaping of education policy and the process of policy implementation, defining the main problems in education, and exploring the range of proposed solutions. Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 reviewed these issues. At the same time, there has been a growing awareness that education policy knowledge is shaped largely by the basic assumptions and methodology used in the field. With this recognition, researchers have become increasingly critical of the knowledge produced and acquired in studies of education policy. This chapter presents several important critiques in the literature of the basic assumptions and methodology of education policy. The critiques focus on three aspects: (a) how the preconceived notions of the researchers and the conceptualizations they use shape the research; (b) the methodology of comparative policy studies; and (c) the methodology of educational program evaluations. This chapter is a critical summary that seeks to stimulate deep reflection on theories and research findings regarding the field of education policy.