ABSTRACT
Conclusions based only on opinion and conjecture have little merit, particularly when speculation presumes to offer recommendations intended to affect change. There is arrogance in the assumption that intellectual theory alone should inform and influence educational practice. All too often conclusions based on what is termed ‘research’ have in reality sprung from well-meant but informal explorations of a topic. While the results of such examinations may well provide valuable information, the authors of this book are convinced that if analyses are to go beyond mere speculation, it is critically important to have in place a firm and scholarly foundation for conclusions reached or recommendations offered.
