The Gates Foundation MET Research Project As a Case of Philanthrocapitalism

Abstract

This chapter examines the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation project, Measures of Effective Teaching [MET]. The chapter synthesizes current research on philanthrocapitalism to highlight some implications of current trends in funding for educational research. The MET project was a massive Three-year, $45 million undertaking. It studied six school districts and 3000 teachers in the United States, collected digital video of 13,000 classroom lessons, administered surveys to students, and tracked student scores on two separate tests in efforts to stipulate the parameters of effective teaching. Reports from the MET project publicized research results about how effective teaching might be defined and measured. MET project analyses and conclusions were published in scholarly academic venues, policy briefs, and popular media from 2010 through 2013. Issues of philanthrocapitalism in educational research include the establishment of an incestuous plutocracy, the conduct of educational research in a shadow economy, the promotion of the special interests of private wealthy donors, and shifts in the terms of debate about educational issues for research in the public interest.