View in EDS

Doing Good, Doing Science: The Holmes Group Reports and the Rhetorics of Educational Reform.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Doing Good, Doing Science: The Holmes Group Reports and the Rhetorics of Educational Reform.
Language: English
Authors: Labaree, David F.
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 23
Publication Date: 1991
Document Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers
Opinion Papers
Descriptors: Change Strategies, Democratic Values, Educational Change, Elementary Secondary Education, Futures (of Society), Higher Education, Persuasive Discourse, Professional Development Schools, Relevance (Education), Rhetorical Criticism, Teacher Education, Teachers
Abstract: Contrasting rhetorics of the two Holmes Group reports are examples of the polar types of educational rhetoric that have characterized the literature on educational reform in the United States. In "Tomorrow's Teachers," the argument for educational reform rests on technical grounds; the position is that of the educational expert and the reform effort is portrayed as an exercise in doing science. In "Tomorrow's Schools," the argument is political; the position is that of the ordinary citizen who takes up the reform effort as an exercise in doing good. The appeal to science places control of reform in the hands of academic experts and of the policymakers who are looking for an authoritative and exclusive basis for educational intervention. This approach serves to transform educational policy into a technical exercise in social engineering. The appeal to democratic values demonstrates an unhealthy naivete about the disciplinary power of expertise over the reform process, for underlying the scientistic rhetoric is a structure of technical rationality and expert control which puts severe constraints on the possible forms and effects of educational reform. The democratic rhetoric does not provide more than token constraint on the reform process, but it does provide a mantle of legitimacy under which the power of the expert can operate with relative impunity. (AMH)
Entry Date: 1991
Accession Number: ED335313
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED335313
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: ED335313
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Conference
PubTypeId: conference
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Doing Good, Doing Science: The Holmes Group Reports and the Rhetorics of Educational Reform.
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Labaree%2C+David+F%2E%22">Labaree, David F.</searchLink>
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: N
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 23
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 1991
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Speeches/Meeting Papers<br />Opinion Papers
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Change+Strategies%22">Change Strategies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Democratic+Values%22">Democratic Values</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Change%22">Educational Change</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Futures+%28of+Society%29%22">Futures (of Society)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Persuasive+Discourse%22">Persuasive Discourse</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professional+Development+Schools%22">Professional Development Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Relevance+%28Education%29%22">Relevance (Education)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rhetorical+Criticism%22">Rhetorical Criticism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Education%22">Teacher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teachers%22">Teachers</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Contrasting rhetorics of the two Holmes Group reports are examples of the polar types of educational rhetoric that have characterized the literature on educational reform in the United States. In "Tomorrow's Teachers," the argument for educational reform rests on technical grounds; the position is that of the educational expert and the reform effort is portrayed as an exercise in doing science. In "Tomorrow's Schools," the argument is political; the position is that of the ordinary citizen who takes up the reform effort as an exercise in doing good. The appeal to science places control of reform in the hands of academic experts and of the policymakers who are looking for an authoritative and exclusive basis for educational intervention. This approach serves to transform educational policy into a technical exercise in social engineering. The appeal to democratic values demonstrates an unhealthy naivete about the disciplinary power of expertise over the reform process, for underlying the scientistic rhetoric is a structure of technical rationality and expert control which puts severe constraints on the possible forms and effects of educational reform. The democratic rhetoric does not provide more than token constraint on the reform process, but it does provide a mantle of legitimacy under which the power of the expert can operate with relative impunity. (AMH)
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 1991
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: ED335313
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED335313
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 23
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Change Strategies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Democratic Values
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Futures (of Society)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Higher Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Persuasive Discourse
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Professional Development Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Relevance (Education)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Rhetorical Criticism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teachers
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Doing Good, Doing Science: The Holmes Group Reports and the Rhetorics of Educational Reform.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Labaree, David F.
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 03
              Type: published
              Y: 1991
ResultId 1