An attempt is made to trace the presence of social sciences paradigms in Brazilian educational research. Starting from studies made in the fifties when this field flowered, under the influence of development theories, certain changes in themes and theoretical orientantions leading to the predominance of different paradigms can be detected. As suggested, the observed changes are explained both by certain events in the national political scenery and ideas spread from international organizations or French and American academic centres. As to the presence of the distinct academic fields, sociology comes first alI along the time, some use has been made of anthropological research methods. Although schooling - a main research subject - is affected to a large extend by government policies very few political scientists engage in studies about education.
Educational research - Brazil; Sociology of Education; themes and methods