Ex auditorio - 13.09.1991

Abstract

The article presents the author's oral opposition presented at Bo Jacobsen's defence of his dissertation for the doctorate. It contains »three main criticisms« and three »diagnostic remarks«. First, it is shown that the dissertation is based on an »educational model« which is, in fact, a model of educational evaluation. It is shown that the model cannot work by the candidate's analyses of the concept of need. Secondly, it is claimed that the candidate in an irregular way employs incoherent concepts from heterogeneous theories. And thirdly, that the candidate applies Karl R. Popper's philosophy of science in an improper way.
The three »diagnostic remarks« draw attention to some general lessons which can be learned from the present work: (1) educational theory cannot take over day-to-day educational paradigmes; (2) it is at present in educational research not profitable,
theoretically, to cover a very broad section of the educational world as this approach tends rather to become an educational programme than an educational analyses; and (3) that we have first and foremost in research on adult education to analyse subject
content and instruction rather than adult education »in general«.