ABSTRACT
The relation of research, policy and practice in education is one of interdependence and interaction. There are many ways in which research can make its contribution, and consequently the research organizations which have been established in different countries vary widely. For Part 1 of this volume contributors were asked to describe the provision for educational research and development in their countries and to identify trends. Three themes which appear across many of the reports are the recent growth in educational research, increasing central control, and new paradigms for research. The third of these is developed in Part 2, which leads us to consider the underlying question: what is the function of research in education?
