As an overview in connection with the 50th anniversary of the "Journal of Curriculum Studies" (JCS), this article begins with John Dewey's notion that all educational actions carry philosophical implications. The tension between different education-research philosophies, between non-social and social education philosophies in Dewey's…

Why should we assume systematic comparative research on state-based curriculum-making to be possible at all, given the high complexity and large variety of institutional forms of educational and political systems across nation-states? On the other hand, how can we explain the significant endeavour of nation-states all over the world to align their…

This article discusees various motives of educators who involve themselves in curriculum research, reviews seven research methodologies (including surveys, content analysis, and sociolocial studies), and applies John Elliot's sociological taxonomy of educational research to English language and literature curricula. (AM)