Preface to Part XV

Abstract

As this book makes amply clear, theory is are a crucial ingredient in any research study in mathematics education. One role of theory is to give the research study a framework within which data can be interpreted and arguments leading from the interpreted data to conclusions can be set forth. Without a theoretical framework, the interpretation of data is becomes arbitrary and arguments may become difficult to both, make and follow. While we may occasionally see research reports without an explicit theoretical framework, this is not an indication that no such framework was used, though it may be an indication that the authors were not aware that they were using a framework implicitly, a framework that thus remained hidden not only from the readers but even form the researchers themselves. The necessity of theoretical frameworks has long been recognized by the research community. Therefore most research journals require any submission to have a clear and explicitly specified theoretical framework. Educational Studies in Mathematics, for example, explicitly requires this in its advice for prospective authors (ESM 2009): The journal seeks to publish articles that are clearly educational studies in mathematics, make original and substantial contributions to the field, are accessible and interesting to an international and diverse readership, provide a well founded and cogently argued analysis on the basis of an explicit theoretical and methodological framework, and take appropriate account of the previous scholarly work on the addressed issues.