Disciplinary Foundations of Education Policy Research: A Bold Reexamination

Abstract

This commentary argues that the seven chapters in this section adopt bold stances in assessing the potential for contributions from academic disciplines to education policy. Unlike most disciplinary scholarship, which primarily addresses questions derived from theories, these chapters advocate scholarship that centers on pursuing problems in the real world.  While drawing on the tools and concepts of the disciplines, a problem-focused approach can both enhance the contributions of disciplinary scholarship to education policy and increase the chances that research produced in the disciplines gets used in policy formulation. Cross-cutting themes, including a persistent focus on race, inequality, and power, and blurred boundaries that encourage new insights, further strengthen the opportunity to apply disciplinary knowledge to research that serves the public good.

Keywords: social science; innovation; racial inequality; evidence use