ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author proposes to sketch a brief outline of some of the major social science concepts that impact on a study of teacher education in a developing country, or throughout the developing world. The tendency to generalize is always strong in the researcher. But it is the disciplined inquirer who must resist the attempt to stray from the supporting evidence and data. Perhaps the most intellectually satisfying methodology for researching teacher education in the developing world is also the most sensible–a combination of a variety of social science methods. The author believes that there are at least three major factors that govern an understanding of how teacher education relates to national progress: economic realities; political realities; and social realities. A final resolution for studying teacher education concerns in the developing world demands something of an overall global set of strategies from the combined social sciences, and a probable balance in methodology from each.
