Clear, comprehensive and highly readable, the third edition of this core text revisits certain education issues in the light of recent policy debate and development. For readers looking to understand philosophy of educational research the book is up-to-date and accessible: it remains in a class of its own.
Gary Thomas, Professor of Inclusion and Diversity, University of Birmingham, UK ... Read more
A stimulating and readable book...Pring gives a succinct account of the different philosophical positions and makes a balanced evaluation of their strong and weak points...should be compulsory reading for all trainee teachers let alone educational researchers.
Dr Paul Martinez, Learning and Skills Development Agency Reviews Editor (of the previous edition) This volume is a textbook and a manifesto, and research students will welcome the clarity with which the various concepts, tools and approaches are outlined ...[T]eachers will be stimulated by it.
Times Educational Supplement (of the previous edition)
Professor Pring's work is far more than the title modestly claims it to be. As much a primer in philosophy of education as a specialist work on the philosophy of educational research it is lucid and concise on topics ranging from the aim[s] of education to the nature of knowledge.
Education Review (of the previous edition)
This is a highly accessible but thorough revelation of the underlying philosophical basis and issues embedded in the ever-burgeoning area of educational research. An articulate and lucid work that reflects the author’s depth of experience and devoted commitment to improving our understanding of the field of education.
Christine Doddington, Senior Lecturer in Education, University of Cambridge, UK
Richard Pring makes a persuasive case that acquiring tools and insights from philosophy should be a central component of preparation for conducting educational research. His book shows that informative research on educational practice must go beyond the methods of trustworthy empirical inquiry to consider issues of purpose and meaning.
Robert E. Floden, University Distinguished Professor, Michigan State University, USA
In this updated edition of his masterly Philosophy and Educational Research, Richard Pring displays an unrivalled depth of scholarship in demonstrating why and how many of the problems confronting the weaknesses of educational research stem from ignorance of the extensive philosophical literature, particular in epistemology. This outstanding work, cogent and readable, should be a required text for every doctoral student in education and, more generally in the social sciences. The underlying, and sometimes explicit, political themes should also put it on the reading list of educational politicians and all who oversee research funding.
Hugh Sockett, Professor of Education, George Mason University, USA
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