The politics of the production function: The influence of political bias on the deductive process

This article addresses the susceptibility of the traditional theoretical framework of the educational production function to political influence and personal bias. Much of this influence and bias is derived form the predominantly deductive approach that is commonly used. In using this approach, researchers are driven to test the statistical significance of preconceived notions, personal or political in origin, of how the education system works. An alternative approach, using an inductive process and nonlinear algorithms, is presented. It is suggested that use of both deductive and inductive approaches will provide a more holistic picture of how schools work.