Educational Research - the Ethics and Aesthetics of Statistics

Chapter 6
n = 1: The Science and Art of the Single Case
in Educational Research
David Bridges
This chapter is concerned with educational research that focuses on the single case
(or, by extension, a very small number of cases) and with the question as to whether
the single case can “properly” inform educational policy and practice beyond its
own boundaries. The force of “properly” here is to frame the question as primarily
an epistemological one, though the argument will extend beyond a narrow interpretation
of the epistemological in exploring the way in which any kind of research
might inform judgement.
In psychological and rhetorical terms there are plenty of examples of the power
of the individual cases to shape decisions. Journalists are taught to ground big issues
in the stories of individual human beings as a means of communicating their significance.
Politicians know well the rhetorical power of the single exemplary story to
persuade opinion. For example, in the UK the story of Laura Spence, a state school
pupil with excellent qualifications, who was not accepted by an Oxford College
symbolised Oxbridge’s failure to address issues of privilege in their admissions
policies. 1 Contemporary legislation is increasingly, it appears, shaped by individual
tragedic events that seem to evidence faults in the system (cf. the terrible saga of
the abuse of Victoria Cimbié, which became a driving force for far-reaching changes
in the social care system in the UK – Laming, 2003; HM Government, 2003), and
laws are even named after the individuals whose cases have come to symbolise the
cause which the legislation addresses (cf. “Megan’s Law” requiring sex offenders
to notify their communities of their presence – passed by the State of New Jersey in
1994 NJSA 2C and ff. and as Federal Law in 1995 42 USC par 13701). That single
cases can have enormous persuasive power seems to me to require little argument:
the question is, should they have this power and under what conditions? Is it rational
to change policy or practice in the face of evidence from a single case?
D. Bridges (B)
University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
P. Smeyers, M. Depaepe (eds.), Educational Research: The Ethics and Aesthetics
of Statistics, Educational Research 5, DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-9873-3_6,
C○ Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010
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