Making Value Judgments and Defining Thick Concepts in Education Research

In this article, we examine the ways in which educational researchers have studied thick concepts from an evaluative standpoint. Thick concepts do not merely describe a phenomenon; they simultaneously evaluate it. However, rather than clarify the value judgments underlying thick concepts, researchers often operationalize them, thereby minimizing or ignoring their evaluative component. Using Anna Alexandrova and Mark Fabian's framework, we explain how educational researchers adopt distinct evaluative approaches to study thick concepts, using teaching interventions, gender attainment gaps, and curriculum design as example cases. While partially agreeing with Alexandrova and Fabian that researchers should look to define and measure thick concepts based on stakeholders' values and participation, we conclude that a pragmatic framework may further account for the unique educational contexts in which thick concepts are understood and applied.