Chapter 3: On Considering Quantitative Research

This chapter asserts that there is a place for quantitative methodologies among critical theory research and that they should not be rejected outright. First, a brief overview of common critiques of positivist research is presented, followed by examples of qualitative research in the service of empire and capitalism to illustrate that interpretivist research isn’t immune to these influences. Next, critical realism is discussed as a possible epistemological opening for those who work with empirical methods while also opposing the status quo as part of their activist identity. Finally, aspects of existing critical quantitative scholarship are highlighted to illustrate that this is a growing movement within educational research.