The Controversy About Quantification in Social Research: An Extension of Gage’s “‘Historical’ Sketch”

Abstract

In his address at the 1989 AERA Annual Meeting, N. L. Gage presented his view about the future of educational research in the context of the “paradigm wars.” In this article, after a short review of quantitativist versus qualitativist controversies, from the 17th century until the present, I risk a prediction about the issue of the debate for the year 2009: Confrontation will continue. But that does not mean that there is not any advance or that history is cyclical: Controversy is the way to progress. By learning from old discussions, we will be able not to suppress but to surpass them.