Examines the consequences for educational research of the crisis in which the theories of knowledge are actually immersed. It especially examines research whose authors take as object of investigation themes concerning the relationship between work and education, since these themes are common objects of research in Post-graduate Programmes in Education in Brazil. Theses produced at PUC/SP, USP, Unicamp, UFRJ and UFRGS, between 1994 and 1998, were examined. The period of research was determined by the year in which the crisis in social science investigation was first detected in Brazil, and the year in which this study was initiated. The aim of the investigation was to examine the nature of the research commitment to historical theories, especially Marxism, as well as to the so-called post-modern theories. The result of the investigation shows an ample predominance of Marxist theoretical frameworks among the researchers studied.
crisis of theoretical frameworks; marxism; post-modern