Concise, engaging and accessible, Education Research: The Basics discusses key ideas about the nature and purpose of education research: what it can and cannot achieve, how it has been used in the past and where and how it has an impact. Providing crucial insight into the work of education researchers, this book: Offers seven chapters, each representing a way of understanding the goals and methods of research conducted in the field Considers key thinkers in the field, such as Plato, Hirsch, Dewey, Montessori and Freire Explores case studies from a range of perspectives Provides key terms and further reading throughout The perfect pocket resource to dip into, Education Research: The Basics provides accessible support for those studying education as a subject, for practitioners concerned with developing their practice and for anyone who wants to know more about education and how it is researched.