Shaking the Foundations: Research Driven School Reform

ABSTRACT

This article argues that the paradigm within which educational effectiveness has been studied has reached the end of its ‘use‐by date’ and that a new paradigm is beginning to emerge that fully integrates research into educational effectiveness with ongoing processes of school improvement and reform. Examples are given of the kind of studies that have been carried out or are beginning to be undertaken using the new paradigm. Through this re‐conceptualisation of the field, it is argued that the potential exists to achieve research‐driven reforms that will shake the foundations of schooling.