A slightly Platonic consideration of the best way to conduct educational research. Minus the Socratic wisdom.

ALETHOS: Timotheus, hi! What's up? You're looking very worried.

TIMOTHEUS: Oh, hi Alethos. No, I'm not worried. Just a little puzzled, that's all.

ALETHOS: Worried or puzzled, you certainly looked distracted. Tell me what's on your mind. You know what they say: 'A trouble shared is a trouble halved'.

TIMOTHEUS: Is that what they say? Well, I'm troubled - if that's not too strong a word for it - by something I've got to do. You see, I don't know how to go about it. I thought I did, but find I don't...

ALETHOS: Stop talking in riddles, man! Spit it out! Spell out what you've got to do and it'll be a simple matter to work out what to do.

TIMOTHUES: I'm impressed by your optimism.

ALETHOS: Optimism, my foot! Straightforward attention to the facts is bound to come up with a solution.

TIMOTHUES: Oh, I see. Well, the fact is that I've said I'll carry out an inquiry into some aspect of education. You know that's what I do for a living don't you: teach I mean?

ALETHOS: Of course I know that. Even if you hadn't told me I'd know. I can spot a teacher a mile off.

TIMOTHEUS: You can? How?.. No, don't tell me, I know what you're going to say.

ALETHOS: You're right, don't get off the point. Your research: what's the problem? Everyone knows how to do that sort of thing. Get the facts together and they'll speak for themselves. There's no mystery there.

TIMOTHEUS: As simple as that?

ALETHOS: Yes! As simple as that! You'll want to draw some sort of conclusion of course. Also tell others what they can do to make things better. On the strength of what you've found it should be pretty clear. There's not much point if no-one else stands to gain from your effort is there?

TIMOTHEUS: No, I suppose not. Thank you, Alethos. I hadn't thought it could be so simple.

ALETHOS: My pleasure. Let me know what you discover, won't you?

A little while later.

HEKASTOS: Timotheus, hi! What's up? You're looking very worried.

TIMOTHEUS: Oh, hi Hekastos. No, I'm not worried. Just a little puzzled, that's all.

HEKASTOS: Puzzled? What about?

TIMOTHEUS: Well, I was talking with Alethos about some work I've got to do. He was really helpful but now I've thought a bit about what he said I don't know if I can do what he suggested.

HEKASTOS: What's this work you reckon you've got to do? And how did Alethos say you should do it? I'd be very interested to know...

TIMOTHEUS: I'm going to do some sort of inquiry into my work. Teaching, you know.

HEKASTOS: Yes, you told me. And even if you hadn't...

TIMOTHEUS: Yes, all right. Just stick to the point. What Alethos said sounded so easy. 'Look at the facts,' he said. 'They'll speak for themselves.' Trouble is, I don't know what facts I should look at. There's so much going on. And I'm sure I don't know what on earth it all means.

HEKASTOS: Alethos should stick to what he knows: levers, pulleys, mechanical stuff like that. Human beings just don't work that way. What you should do is listen to what people have to say: they know what's going on. Take notice of them. Trust them.

TIMOTHEUS: I hadn't thought of that. You're probably right.

HEKASTOS: I like to think so.

TIMOTHEUS: But there's still a bit of a problem, isn't there? Everyone's going to say something different. How can I prove what's going on?

HEKASTOS: Don't even try. Alethos thinks he can prove everything but he's completely wrong. When it comes to real people living in the real world he can't say a single thing worth saying.

TIMOTHEUS: Oh. He seemed very convincing.

HEKASTOS: Don't let him fool you. Even with all his so-called-facts he can't prove even one simple statement. He thinks he can, but if he wants to make the sort of general point that he seems so fond of he'd need an infinity of facts to support it. And I don't think even he would suggest he could do that.

TIMOTHEUS: No, I don't suppose he would.

HEKASTOS: The truth is you can't prove anything. What you can do is describe what you, and others, think is going on and then leave the interpretation to your reader.

TIMOTHEUS: Isn't it all a bit woolly though? Do you think anyone will want to read that sort of thing?

HEKASTOS: That's not your concern. Do what you think best and leave it at that.

TIMOTHEUS: Fair enough. I'll give it a try. I think.