Differing attitudes of researchers and preschool teachers towards research in early childhood are discussed in this paper. These differences are seen as arising from causes such as the special training of each group and the nature of the work they do, the distribution of the sexes in each group and the social institutions which back them. The concept of the whole child, generally supported in preschool teacher training, may conflict with the researcher's need to analyze and dissect. Emphasis on individual differences among children is noted as basic to general teacher thought, yet difficult to follow in research designed to develop programs for a wide range of children. Research workers' tendency to impose school-type models on preschools is attributed to their affiliation with university departments of education and psychology rather than, for example, anthropology or linguistics. Cited as a major source of differing viewpoints between preschool personnel and researchers is that workers in the preschool establishment are almost all female, while workers in the educational research establishment are predominantly male. Differences in research topics related to researcher sex are discussed in detail and attitudes towards program evaluation and pupil testing are noted. The involvement of preschool personnel in the planning of research projects affecting them is urged. (BF)