For this special issue on Navigating in a Measurable Epistemic Landscape we invited contributions from scholars with various disciplinary backgrounds to debate the measurable epistemic values, logics and practices of educational institutions such as school and university. Hence, we further the discussion of Confero’s first issue Managing by Measuring: Academic Knowledge Production under the Ranks (Nylander et al., 2013) by highlighting the measurable epistemic landscape of the broader educational system.
This special issue of Confero presents six essays with different aims and scope, which relate to the criticism or “bashing” of educational research. Starting with Martin Malmström’s essay How do you think it feels? On Being the Epitome of Pseudoscience that clearly connects to the bashing theme, the other essays elucidate and question related aspects of the universities, of pedagogy, teacher education and educational research. Together the essays form a dialogue on the underpinning perspectives on science and learning, not only in the field on education but academia at large. To clarify, the intention of this issue is not to constrain the critics, but an ambition to deepen the conversation and open up for different perspectives and voices.