Calls to understand ‘what works’ in education are being made the world over. We need to know not only ‘what works’ but under what conditions, how and why. Causation is central to this. Researchers, educationists, readers and users of research need to know the effects of causes and the causes of effects. This strongly practical book helps researchers and readers of research understand, plan and investigate causation in education. It guides readers through statistical matters, explaining them clearly and simply in words as well as numbers, and shows them how to investigate qualitative causal research in education.

After introducing deterministic and probabilistic causation, the book shows how these can be researched in different ways. It explains:

how to determine causes from effects and how to link theory and practice in causal research

how to plan and conduct causal research in education

how to analyze, present and interpret causal data, and the limits of causal understanding.

Containing worked examples from both qualitative and quantitative research, Causation in Educational Research provides a manual for practice, underpinned by a rigorous analysis of key issues from philosophy, sociology and psychology. It will appeal to new and established researchers, readers of educational research, social science students and academics.