ABSTRACT
Theory always lies behind research determining what questions are asked and how they are asked. Quite often, in empirical research in education, this theoretical underpinning is left relatively implicit. All the chapters in this section articulate explicit theories and show how these theories shape both pedagogical designs and research designs. Making theoretical assumptions more explicit is important because it enables these to be questioned and so to become subject to debate. Inevitably, making theory explicit raises the question: where does each theory come from and how can it be justified? Each chapter suggests different answers to this question. This short commentary begins with a brief summary of each chapter outlining what can be learnt from each and what issues are raised by each. It then expands on two themes that emerge across all of the chapters: the question of what it means to be dialogic and the issue of how to coherently unite theory with research practice.
