Learning From Our Differences: A Dialogue Across Perspectives on Quality in Education Research

Source: Educational Researcher, Vol. 38, No. 7, 501-517 (2009).

The dialogue re-presented in this article is intended to foster mutual engagement—and opportunity for learning—across different perspectives on research within the education research community.

Participants in the dialogue each addressed the following questions:

(1) What are the touchstones by which you judge quality or rigor in education research (for a single study, a set of studies, or a "field" or community of researchers in dialogue)?
What is your chief concern or fear that the touchstones guard against?

(2) Where do you see challenges to your perspective in the perspectives of other members of the panel?
How might your perspective evolve to respond to those challenges?
Given all of this, what are the implications for the preparation of education researchers?

Opening and closing comments set the dialogue in historical context, highlight issues raised, and suggest next steps for collaborative learning from the diversity of perspectives in our field.