Causal reasoning about education: What is it and what should it be?

Arthur Bakker*, Elisabeth Angerer, William R. Penuel, Sanne F. Akkerman

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Education is about promoting particular change and development. Educational research should reflect the special ontology of education, which we characterize in terms of meaningful movement in motion, where different interest holders have positions, purposes, and potential. Methodologically, this implies a focus on actuality and generativity rather than on generalizable laws. This would mean that there is no replication crisis in education because there is no stable, universal system of relations within which results can be replicated. We call for collaboration with philosophers in enabling educational researchers to deliberate on the conception(s) of causality appropriate to their specific work and argue that more generally, to contribute to the flourishing of education, educational research needs to shift attention from mechanistic to intentional (teleological) conceptions of causation.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Routledge Handbook of Causality and Causal Methods
PublisherTaylor and Francis
Pages671-682
Number of pages12
ISBN (Electronic)9781003528937
ISBN (Print)9781032260198
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Dec 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 selection and editorial matter, Phyllis Illari and Federica Russo. All rights reserved.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Causal reasoning about education: What is it and what should it be?'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this