Knowledge production and democracy in educational research: the case of evidence-based education – G Biesta

There is a strong drive in many parts of the world for education to become a evidence-based practice and for teaching to become an evidence-based profession, based on a model of professional action. The author examines several of the main assumptions of this position and argues that education cannot be seen as ‘intervention’ or ‘treatment’ in the manner implied. The author also explores the epistemological implications of evidence-based practice in education and urges educators, researchers and policy makers to broaden the scope of thinking about education and knowledge production for the 21st century.
This article is derived from an invited keynote address, given by the author at the Joint Conference of the South African Association for Research and Development in Higher Education and the Productive Learning Culture Project in Bergen, Norway (31 Aug – Sept 2005).
From: SAJHE 19 Special Issue 2005, pp. 1334-1349