The problem with randomised controlled trials for Education

Abstract

Terry Wrigley engages with Philpott & Poultney’s (2018) chapter on randomized control trials (RCTs), particularly the debates around whether they are a useful approach for informing teaching and school development. He critiques as reductionist the claim that RCTs provide a 'scientific' form of research in education. Further, he reflects on the adoption of meta-analyses as a 'gold standard' by various national agencies, and the circumstances which have made Hattie's (2008) Visible Learning publications popular. The chapter looks towards viable alternatives in engaging teachers with research in order to develop the argument for research-informed teacher learning.