ABSTRACT
Very little money is spent on research into education generally and into classroom teaching in particular. This is in stark contrast with what is done in other fi elds, where research and development are seen as vital components if the industry is to thrive. Many industrial and commercial concerns, particularly in a fi eld like the pharmaceutical or defence industry, invest a signifi cant percentage of their profi ts in research and development work in order to survive and compete. Parts of the American pharmaceutical industry invest 20 per cent of their profi ts in research, yet in education less than one-thousandth of the multi-billion dollar investment is spent on research (Biddle 1989). Indeed, most of the research in education nowadays is done by individuals, many of whom are studying for some kind of qualifi cation, often higher degrees on a part-time basis, rather than by large-scale externally funded project teams. Of the relatively small sum spent on educational research, a great deal goes on such matters as pupil assessment. Very little cash is donated to studies of teachers at work in their own classrooms.
