“Empiricism is the practice of relying on observation” (p. 11).

“Empiricism pure and simple is not enough….[P]ure, unstructured observation of the natural world will not lead to scientific knowledge” (p. 12).

“Proponents of an educational practice should be asked for evidence; they should also be willing to admit that contrary data will [I would say, may] lead them to abandon the practice” (p. 13). I would add several additional qualifiers, even while accepting the general logic of the authors’ broad point.

“True science is held tentatively and is subject to change based on contrary evidence” (p. 13).

“The principle of converging evidence is applied in situations requiring a judgment about where the ‘preponderance of evidence’ points” (p. 15).

“A particular experimental result is never equally relevant to all competing theories” (p. 15).

“[W]e need to look for a convergence of results, not just consistency from one method [of research]. Convergence increases our confidence in the external and internal validity of our conclusions” (p. 21).

“[T]he key is to use both [qualitative and quantitative methods] where it is most effective” (p. 25).

“Scientific knowledge is not infallible knowledge, but knowledge that has at least passed some minimal tests [so would much knowledge in other academic disciplines]. The theories behind research-based practice can be proven wrong, and therefore contain a mechanism for growth and advancement” (p. 26).

“Researchers use many different methods to arrive at their conclusions, and the strengths and weaknesses of these methods vary. Most often, conclusions are drawn only after a slow accumulation of data from many studies” (p. 26). (Even so, new knowledge may emerge because paradigms shift. In that respect, scientific change can also be cataclysmic.)

“Effective teachers engage in scientific thinking in their classrooms in a variety of ways….[I]terative testing of hypothesis that are revised after the collection of data…can be seen when teachers plan for instruction: they evaluate their students’ previous knowledge, develop hypotheses about the best methods for attaining lesson objectives, develop a teaching plan based on those hypotheses, observe results, and base further instruction on the evidence collected” (p. 32).

“Researchers and educators are kindred spirits [that is, they can be] in their approach to knowledge, an important fact that can be used to forge a coalition to bring hard-won research knowledge to light in the classroom.”