On The Education Research From The Perspective Of Principal-Agent Theory

Compared with scientific research in other fields, education research doesn't have so high position in the society. Though this has to do with the underdevelopment of education science, it is due to the problems which may happen in the interaction between the different subjects in education research. The analyses of the principal-agent relationship between education research funding agencies or education research management organizations and education researchers can help us understand the interaction between these subjects better, which is also the premise for us to analyse the problems in their principal-agent relationship and propose some solutions to these problems.This study will focus on the discussion of the principal-agent relationship between education researchers and education research funding agencies or education management organizations. It will analyse the principal-agent problems which may happen in the ex-ante and ex-post stages of principal-agent relationship. First of all, the discussion of the interaction between education researchers and other subjects from the perspective of principal-agent relationship needs the verification of its presuppositions. Their information asymmetry is relative, their goal is not necessarily in conflict and their trust is adequate. Under such presupposition verification, we will discuss the adverse selection in the education research project application, which mainly refers to "bad money drives out good", the inappropriate publicizing ways like "running for research projects" and the duplication of research project approval. Each kind of problem has its own features, according to which we put forward some solutions.After the establishment of the principal-agent relationship, the main form of principal-agent problem in education research is moral hazard with its typical manifestation of education researchers'shirking. The education research management organizations have implemented monitoring and incentivizing measures to oversee the shirking of education researchers in the research process. The comprehensive use of exemption from result appraisal, awards and rewards, praise notification and punishment has inspired education researchers to work hard on their research project, thus reduce their shirking. Some creative methods like quasi-purchasing of research output and post-funding are recommendable. Moreover, education researchers'academic misconducts and the shortcoming of the research funding management of the education research management organizations are also obvious and they need to solve these problems with proper measures.