Editorial Introduction: Critical Commitments in Educational Research and Practice and Reflecting on the Life of David C. Berliner

Abstract

The editorial introduction to Volume 27, Issue 2 of Current Issues in Education offers a tribute to Dr. David C. Berliner and provides an overview of the issue’s eleven articles. In Part I, “Always in Our Corner: Honoring the Life and Legacy of David C. Berliner,” we reflect on Dr. Berliner’s legacy as an important educational researcher and a tireless advocate for public education, educational research, and for his students and colleagues. Included are personal essays written by his former students. In Part II, “Democracy, Equity, Purpose, and Context: Introducing the New Articles,” we briefly discuss the eleven articles in the new issue. Each article is discussed in its own right; we also invite readers to consider the new articles as we see them connecting to Dr. Berliner’s work. The articles are organized around four areas of inquiry central to Dr. Berliner’s work: public education as a cornerstone of democracy; educational research as rigorous, pragmatic, and “morally purposeful”; the imperative to challenge the narrative of the “manufactured crisis” in public education; and consideration of the social conditions that shape teaching and learning. Together, the articles in this issue highlight the continued importance of contextually grounded, equity-oriented educational research committed to improving educational practice.