ABSTRACT
This book reports the work of the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA’s)Panel onResearchandTeacherEducation,1 whichbeganpreliminarydiscussions in 1999. At that time, there was growing concern in the educational community about the vagueness of much of the research claimed to support certain policies and practices related to teacherpreparation. Sometimes the sameresearchwas cited to support conflicting positions. Sometimes close scrutiny revealed that particular studies provided no clear evidence for the claims being made. Often it was apparent that quite different assumptions were operating about what constituted good research, what research questions ought to be addressed, and what role research could be
expected to play in policy and practice. It was clear to the panel that careful and unbiased analysis of the empirical evidence supporting various practices and suggesting new directions for research in teacher education was needed.
