Is there any good research on how learners learn best?

Sharon Begley, Newsweek columnist, says in her column “Second-Class Science” this week that educational research gets an F. She argues that there is virtually no good research on what teaching methods/models/philosophies work best. She particularly picks on the traditional model versus “inquiry-based learning” research.

From my point of view the problem with most of  the research focuses on an either or approach. Learning is much more complex than that. It requires a nuanced differentiated approach. Each student, each topic, and each learning environment is different. A good teacher has to diagnose the situation and use the method at a given moment  that he/she thinks is going to work best.