The Interpretive Turn and the New Debate in Education

Over the last several decades, positivist-behaviorist apyroaches to social and educational r e s e a r c ' ~ ~ n the decline, whereas int~rpretivist ap, pd:oaches have been on the rise. As a result of this "interpretive t___urn__z" the old debate betwee_frrpositivism and interpreti~ism (and central to the qua---~ntitative-qualitative debate) has diminished in intensitu only to be replacedby a new debate within • , . ~ , . ~ . . ' ~ ~ r a t e T h i s article characterizes the new debate tn terms o ' fpos~-~ i s t s who would abandon_the~ma_~d-pato.r_y_project ~ ~ ~ a ~ d versus ~a~an&formo_tJo isrf!s~-w h " ~ o ~ ~ p ~ o j e c t and endeavor to see it through. Among the conclusions advanced is that the d t ~ between these two general perspectives tend to be over._.____draww~n particularly when philosophical avowals are measured against the requirements of practice.