Realizing the promises of replication studies in education

ABSTRACT

In the “what works” agenda, the case for replication studies in education has strong proponents and supporting arguments. This paper outlines some of their key claims and argues that replication studies, whilst potentially making an important contribution to the “what works” and evidence-based agenda, and education more widely, face several challenges in the context-dense, variable-rich field of education. The paper indicates key challenges facing replication studies in education, from definitions to conception, conduct, interpreting, and drawing conclusions from findings. It sets out how replication studies in education might be improved and developed, and how to address challenges. What replications bring to education is important and useful, but exacting, and, like other research in education, they are not straightforward. Changes of mind-set of researchers, publishers, and funders are needed in order to enable replication studies to prosper, together with attention to what constitutes valid and reliable replication.

KEYWORDS:

• Replications
• “what works”
• replication studies
• evidence-based education
• conceptual replications

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Keith Morrison is Vice-rector at the University of Saint Joseph, Macau. Before moving to Macau in 2000, he was at the University of Durham, UK.

Notes

1 As “truth” in science is provisional, this paper uses the term “truth” in two ways: “true” as, for example, in a “true” experiment, that is, fulfilling all the rigorous methodological canons and requirements of the research method, and “true” as being only the best that we know and understand at present, and which is open to change as knowledge advances.

2 I thank an anonymous reviewer for drawing attention to this.

3 I thank an anonymous reviewer for this important suggestion.