School effectiveness research: from a review of the criticism to recommendations for further development

School effectiveness research (SER) has flourished since the 1980s. In recent years, however, various authors have criticised several aspects of SER. A thorough review of recent criticism can serve as a good starting point for addressing the flaws of SER, where appropriate, thereby supporting its further development. This article begins by reviewing the criticism from different perspectives by discussing the political-ideological nature of SER, its theoretical limitations and the research methodology it applies. The review of each type of criticism is accompanied by a review of the recommendations that the critics propose for improving SER. We then proceed to present our views on each line of criticism and propose 5 avenues that we consider promising for the further development of SER.