ERIC Number: ED583585
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Jun-29
Pages: 176
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-0-8077-5905-9
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
What Works May Hurt--Side Effects in Education
Zhao, Yong
Teachers College Press
Medical products are required to disclose both their intended outcomes and known side effects. Educational policy and practice, however, carries no such labels. Thus, teachers, school leaders, and the public are not told, for example, that "this program helps improve your students' reading scores, but it may make them hate reading forever," or that "school choice may improve test scores of some students, but it may lead to the collapse of American public education." In his new book, Yong Zhao, distinguished professor and specialist in education policy, shines a light on the long-ignored phenomenon of side effects of education policies and practices, bringing a fresh and perhaps surprising perspective to evidence-based practices and policies. Identifying the adverse effects of some of the "best" educational interventions with examples from classrooms to boardrooms, the author investigates causes and offers clear recommendations. This volume will help the field of education to advance beyond the extreme pendulum swings that characterize today's school reform efforts. Book features include: (1) Provides evidence to show how popularly endorsed education strategies, policies, and systems can actually do harm to students; (2) Encourages educators to consider some less-publicized or lower-effect strategies that may be just what the doctor ordered for some students and classrooms; (3) Cautions educators, policymakers, and parents to be more thoughtful when considering educational programs and weighing evidence; and (4) Calls for researchers to include possible downsides to strategies that they are testing and promoting in order to assist school leaders and practitioners in choosing and implementing educational interventions.
Descriptors: Educational Policy, Educational Practices, Best Practices, Program Effectiveness, Learning Strategies, Teaching Methods, Researchers, Decision Making
Teachers College Press. 1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027. Tel: 800-575-6566; Fax: 802-864-7626; e-mail: tcp.orders@aidcvt.com; Web site: http://www.tcpress.com
Publication Type: Books; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Policymakers; Parents; Researchers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A