Quality assurance, the educational standards debate, and the commodification of educational research

ABSTRACT

The idea of quality assurance dominates educational discourse at the present time. This is reflected in the emphasis placed on test and examination results, inspections and school performance indicators. It is argued in this article that this is not simply an attempt to legitimate traditional conceptions of knowledge. It is also an attempt to construct a new narrative of knowledge. School effectiveness research is an example of this as it applies a performativity criterion to educational research methodology. The article concludes by suggesting that action research may be subordinated to the logic of performativity, and as a result is less able to fulfil its proper purpose which is to create the conditions for innovative experiments in education.

KEYWORDS:

• school effectiveness research
• school improvement research
• performativity
• quality assurance
• action research