Educational Research in Europe - James Calderhead

The book provides authoritative accounts of educational research in nine different European regions - France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, UK and the Nordic countries. Each chapter, written by a national educational researcher, describes how educational enquiry is organised within that country: which institutions and associations are involved, how research is funded, who are the major players in the research process (civil servants in government departments, for example, or academics in universities) and what mechanisms exist to relate research to policy and practice. The chapters also outline current research priorities and consider the potential benefits of greater European collaboration in research. The chapters highlight substantial national differences in levels of research activity throughout Europe, different levels of funding and different emphasis in the styles of research as well as common difficulties in disseminating research findings and a common search for better ways of communicating the significance of educational research to both policy-makers and practitioners in education. The book promises to be of value to all those interested in the future development of educational research in Europe.