Vagueness as a threat to scientific progress: The need for clarity and preciseness in teaching effectiveness research

This paper reflects on a recent special issue from SESI, which claims that the association between teaching quality and student outcomes is small and inconsistent. I argue that this claim is vague and such vagueness represents an important barrier to the field. While many have now argued for the need to better conceptualize and define constructs, I go a step further to question whether important constructs are inherently vague. Further, I provide novel arguments that the claim that associations are “weak” and “inconsistent” are similarly vague. In fact, I argue that observed relationships are not weak and inconsistent, but unreasonably large and exactly as variable as we should expect. In making these arguments, I argue that vagueness comes from a lack of interest in good measurement. I discuss what good measurement entails, arguing that adopting such practice will reduce vagueness and support true progress. I discuss also structural barriers that prevent the adoption of good measurement practice.