Of course, the noble purposes of understanding and improvement frequently mask other reasons for undertaking a research study. Ministries of education have been known to i commission research studies in mathematics education for the sole purpose, of justifying decisions already made or about to be made on other grounds. Moreover, no one can deny that the requirements for obtaining advanced degrees, tenure, and promotions in institutions of higher education in certain tries have led more than countries have led more than a few mathematics educators to conduct investigations they would not otherwise consider doing. The motives for doing research are often tangled and far from disinterested