Educational philosophy, theory and research: A psychiatric autobiography

Interpretations of educational theory as essentially empirical conceive edu cation and teaching as skill-based technologies which ean be scientifically researched. Those in the educational research community who resist this pi cture nevertheless often regard good educational practice as empirically re searchable by more 'particularistic' means (for example, action research). However, this chapter argues that such empiricist approaches neglect or dis tort ii,hat are essentially moral rather than scientific or technical quest ions. On this view, education is essentially a moral practice, ethical deli beration lies at the heart of principled educational enquiry and the expert ise of teachers is better conceived in terms of virtues rather than skills.