Lessons educators could learn from Thomas Kuhn’s the structure of scientific revolutions

Pages: 113-119
Solomon Melesse and Mulugeta Yayeh (Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies, College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia, East Africa)

The purpose of this article was to explore some valuable lessons and experiences that have relevance for the field of education and its professionals. Thus, a critical analysis and reflection is made on some selected issues that were addressed in Thomas Kuhn’s book entitled The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Based on these analyses and reflections, the lessons that need to be considered by educators are discussed at length. In this article, we argue that, the book entitled The Structure of Scientific Revolutions has at least four valuable implications for educators. These are; the need to revisit the current challenges of educational research, the need to strive for paradigm shifts in some educational theories and thoughts, the need to revitalize textbook writing, and the need to reconsider the implications of the two terms, i.e., science and scientist in the field of education.

Keywords: educational research, paradigm shift, revolution, science, scientific revolution, textbook