Much has been written on the styles, strategies and tactics associated with educational research and evaluation, but relatively little on the social processes associated with the methodology. Few books consider the relationship of research and evaluation to policy and practice and this book opens up key debates in that field. It identifies, through contributions from the USA and Britain, some of the major processes involved, examines the problems of conducting research and evaluation and the ways in which they can be overcome, and details case studies in which problems and processes are encountered.; Probably of worldwide interest to students, researchers, academics, policy makers and practitioners, the authors present an examination of a range of different dimensions associated with educational research and evaluation conducted for policy and practice.

Part 1 Issues in Policy Focused Research and Evaluation: The Relationship Between Educational Research and Evaluation and the Role of the Local Education Authority, A Sanday; Voices for Empowering of the Researched in a Report for Policy Makers, C Biott; Inspection, Time Constrained Evaluation and the Production of Credible Educational Knowledge, B Wilcox; Part 2 Educational Research and Evaluation for Policy and Practice - Some Empirical Studies: Local and National Evaluation, C Pole ; Evaluation for Policy - Rationality and Political Reality - The Paradigm Case of Praise? M James ; Teaching and the Self in a Time of Change, J Nias; Educational Research and Professional Development - On The Minds That Watch Themselves, M-L Holly (USA).