2025/12/02 by Gert Biesta · 1 voice · 1 citation
Neuroscience · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Educational Strategies and Epistemologies #Global Educational Policies and Reforms #Pain Management and Placebo Effect
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/edth.70063
openalex publication_date 2025/12/02 · openalex created_date 2025/12/03 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Abstract In this invited article, I revisit my 2007 essay “Why ‘What Works’ Won't Work: Evidence‐Based Practice and the Democratic Deficit in Educational Research.” I provide a summary of the key arguments in the essay, explain why I used the phrase “democratic deficit,” examine what I have observed regarding the discussion about “evidence” in education since the publication of the essay, and show, through an exploration of the educational placebo effect, why the comparison between education and medicine remains problematic. I suggest that this may have important implications for the design of educational research. It also raises the interesting question to what extent existing evidence about educational effectiveness has been looking at the right interventions. Against this background, I reiterate my call for a broader spectrum of research approaches than only those that focus on the question of “what works.” This is as much a call for researchers as it is a call for policymakers and educational practice.