Nature Of Educational Research Research Articles

Thinking about the nature of educational research: Going beyond superficial theoretical scripts

This paper questions the idea that there are two opposing paradigms of educational research, often called positivist versus interpretivist. It argues that the ‘paradigm’ term has been used to avoid philosophical discussions about the nature of educational research. This has been done by understanding ‘paradigms’ to reflect metaphysical positions about connected epistemological and ontological assumptions. Problems with this conception of ‘paradigms’ are discussed including how to justify combining different research methods. The paper also criticises treating pragmatism as a ‘paradigm’ by distinguishing between everyday pragmatism and philosophical pragmatism. Philosophical pragmatism is presented as a diverse approach that is naturalistic, fallibilistic and overcoming of false dichotomies, that can risk leading to a self‐defeating relativism. How these have been addressed is then discussed. This has involved introducing some transcendental or impersonal elements into pragmatism without reverting to a metaphysical realism. This involves a discussion of various philosophical perspectives, pragmatic realism, evolutionary epistemology and critical realism, as relevant to educational research. The final section draws on a version of Dewey's pragmatist model of enquiry. informed by some of Habermas's early and later epistemological ideas as the basis for thinking about educational research that encompasses flexible and combined methodological approaches. The paper places research methodology in a central focus in educational research with its links to epistemology and methods. It concludes that pragmatist assumptions contribute to understanding educational research, its methodologies and the design of plural and flexible research methods, even if there are continuing philosophical investigations.

Context and Implications Document for: Thinking about the nature of educational research: going beyond superficial theoretical scripts

This guide accompanies the following article: Norwich, B. Thinking about the nature of educational research: Going beyond superficial theoretical scripts, Review of Education, https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3182

Why the nature of educational research should remain contested: A statement from the new editors of the British Educational Research Journal

Why the nature of educational research should remain contested: A statement from the new editors of the <i>British Educational Research Journal</i>

Pesquisa educacional e experiência humana na perspectiva hermenêutica

O ensaio aborda a fragilidade teórica da pesquisa educacional brasileira, desdobrando a argumentação em três seções. Na primeira, baseando-se em Bernardete Gatti, o texto alinhava alguns traços do diagnóstico sobre as dificuldades e os limites do atual estágio da pesquisa educacional no país. Na segunda, concentra-se em resumir o aspecto nuclear da ambiguidade da experiência ordinária, científica e filosófica. Pretende mostrar que, se tais formas foram acompanhadas por tendências dogmáticas, também apresentam concepções abertas e plurais. Na última parte, procura justificar a experiência hermenêutica gadameriana como perspectiva promissora para ampliar a noção de experiência humana, visando a descortinar um novo olhar sobre a natureza da pesquisa educacional.

Changing boundaries—Shifting identities: Strategic interventions to enhance the future of educational research in Australia

This paper reflects on the geography of Australian educational research in the context of the ERA 2010 and 2012 assessments results. These results reflect significant changes to the nature of educational research over the past decades, where this research is conducted and by whom. We recap the historical changes to the formation of educational institutions and their impact on research outputs to demonstrate that interdisciplinary work is growing in a context where there has been a shift in research outputs away from the traditional area of school education. The ERA results demonstrate a high level of research activity in the intersections between previously distinct discipline areas, particularly in the scholarship of teaching and learning. The future of ERA itself is addressed in order to propose interventions that might make a difference to an ecology that is anchored in traditions and tends towards inertia. Finally, we argue that efforts by universities to build research capacity are likely to continue to be competitive, to focus on the individual rather than on departments and schools, and to be subject to an increasingly pervasive culture of accountability. Against this discourse of accountability, and an accompanying loss in autonomy and creative ‘think-time’, we propose that academics in education actively engage in a community of research. We conclude with interventions designed to build a high-quality, analytical and theoretically intensive research culture to underscore educational research in Australia.

The Philosophical Foundations of Prescriptive Statements and Statistical Inference

From the perspectives of the philosophy of science and statistical inference, we discuss the challenges of making prescriptive statements in quantitative research articles. We first consider the prescriptive nature of educational research and argue that prescriptive statements are a necessity in educational research. The logic of deduction, abduction, and induction in philosophy of science are briefly reviewed, and the logic of prescriptive statement is specifically considered. The inductive nature of statistical inference is examined for both classical frequentist statistics and Bayesian statistics. To conclude our discussion, we recommend conducting replications and building “research programs” in educational research. We also make recommendations on what to write in the discussion section and what evidence is required to make an appropriate prescriptive statement.

Novel Identities: Catharine Maria Sedgwick's Hope Leslie as a Mentoring Framework for Curriculum Studies and Life Journeys

The whole idea of is basic to humanity ... [but] really significant is interior journey. (DeWaal, 1998) Prevalent in both archetypal and religious literature, motif weaves its way through tales of human growth--stories which grapple with processes of how people come to be and to know. Such images of identity formation and knowledge construction hold significant implications for field of education. As Huebner (1993) suggests, the question educators need to ask is not how people learn and develop, but what gets in way of great journey--the of self or soul. Huebner is not saying that knowledge of human development is without importance, but instead he is asking educational scholars to be willing to look at knowledge construction through a more contextualized and holistic lens-to risk an exploration of students' journeys from alternative standpoints. His statement demands much from educational community, in that it calls for an enormous paradigm shift. Accustomed to a cultural environment with a reductionist tendency to describe education in terms of attaining and measuring de-contextualized skills, metaphor requires us to look at learning through a lens, in which knowing becomes something that is inextricably linked to our unfolding life contexts. Exploring problems and possibilities inherent to such a paradigm shift makes it necessary for educators to revisit questions regarding nature of educational research. What does education a means of caring for journey look like? And in what ways might it be implemented within pedagogy and research? In our own lives, we have discovered that examining specific life stories--both on an individual basis and communally with students--often provides important clues concerning ways in which people learn, in which they have traveled through obstacles within their unique journeys of the self or soul. In particular, narrative examinations have proved helpful at a multiplicity of levels in terms of exploring identity formation and knowledge construction of forgotten or marginalized people. As Pinar (1993) explains: We are what we know. We are, however, also what we do not know. If what we know about ourselves--our history, our culture, our national identity--is deformed by absences, denials, incompleteness, then our identity-both as individuals and as Americans is fragmented.. (p. 61) When viewed from this standpoint, locating forgotten journeys moves beyond an act of altruism or of social justice (as important as such motivations are) to one of educational necessity. When another's story is missing from collective American lore, then my own story--both individually and communally--is also incomplete. If examining life journeys is regarded as a necessary part of educational scholarship, then it follows that pervasive assumptions concerning which narrative formats are appropriate sources for educational research should be re-examined and replaced by more expansive notions (Gilbert, 1994). It also follows that as researchers seek new narrative spaces from which to explore and uncover marginalized journeys and ways of knowing, that we must also seek narrative sources that provide us with potential guideposts or mentoring clues for locating ideas with potential to inform current curriculum theory. One such neglected, yet promising narrative research genre for education field is that of 19th-century American women's novels. Therefore, our purposes for writing this paper are two-fold. Firstly, we will demonstrate viability of exploring a source for curriculum studies research, that of 19th-century women's novels. And we will do so, for most part, through context of now marginalized, but once highly acclaimed 19th-century novelist, Catharine Maria Sedgwick. Secondly, it is our purpose to describe some of specific contributions that Sedgwick's life and most popular novel, Hope Leslie, or Early Times in Massachusetts (Sedgwick, 1827), can offer to field of curriculum studies. …

Reviews of research in rural schools and their communities: Analytical perspectives and a new agenda

This chapter responds to the research questions posed in the introductory chapter on the status and nature of educational research on rural schools and their community relationships. Drawing on the national reviews, we discuss the quality of the research focusing on its themes and questions, theoretical perspectives, and research design and methodology. The conclusions indicate substantial hiatuses, and call for greater use of the local voice, the life-world perspective, longitudinal and comparative studies, and multiple purposively sampled case studies. Internationally, while first-hand sources on the cultural contributions of rural schools exist, these must be accessed before documentary studies of central policies over-write such history. Finally, a new research agenda is formulated.

Inside Pasteur’s quadrant: knowledge production in a profession

In this paper, we examine the current state of educational research through the framework of “use‐inspired” knowledge. Previous discussions regarding the nature of educational research have disproportionately focused on the soft/applied nature of knowledge in the discipline or a need for methodological priority. After acknowledging these arguments, we consider the role of education as a professional discipline in American colleges and universities, and explore the inherent relationship between researchers and practitioners. Use‐inspired knowledge prioritises practice, encourages translational research, fosters interdisciplinarity and dissolves rigid educational structures.

Researching assessment as social practice: Implications for research methodology

Recent educational journals on both sides of the Atlantic have seen a resurgence of debate about the nature of educational research. As a contribution to these debates, this paper draws on theoretical and methodological ‘thinking tools’ of French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Specifically, the paper explores what Jenkins [Jenkins, R. (2002). Pierre Bourdieu. London: Routledge and Falmer] refers to as Bourdieu's “reflexive epistemological pluralism” and its implications for research into higher education, with a particular focus on assessment as social practice. This particular theoretical and methodological understanding is used to critically reflect on a study conducted in 2005 on the impact of a policy on anonymous examination marking which was implemented at the University of Cape Town in 2004. The study collected both quantitative data of student examination performance pre- and post-policy implementation, as well as interviews with course conveners. The paper argues that when viewed interdependently the data offers insight into some of the “principles of vision and division” [Bourdieu, P. (1996). The state nobility: Elite schools in the field of power. Cambridge: Polity Press] at work in assessors’ judgment-making process. The assessors’ deliberations expose ideological tensions between the dual challenges of equity and excellence in the context of a historically white liberal university under transformation.

An Interview with Richard Mayer

Richard E. Mayer is professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), where he has served since 1975. He received a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Michigan, in 1973, and served as visiting assistant professor of psychology at Indiana Univer sity, from 1973 to 1975. He is past-president of the Division of Educational Psychology of the American Psychological Association, former editor of Educational Psychologist and former co-editor of Instructional Science, for mer chair of the UCSB Department of Psychology, and the year 2000 re cipient of the E. L. Thorndike Award for career achievement in educa tional psychology. He was ranked #1 as the most productive researcher in the field of educational psychology for 1991-2001 (Contemporary Ed ucational Psychology, Vol. 28, pp. 422-430). Prof. Mayer is the author of 18 books and more than 250 articles and chapters, including The Promise of Educational Psychology: Vols. 1 and 2 (1999, 2002), Multimedia Learning, (2001), Learning and Instruction (2003), and E-Learning and the Science of Instruction (with R. Clark, 2003). He serves on the editorial boards of 11 journals mainly in educational psychology. For the past 35 years he has conducted research on how instructional methods affect learning, and in the past 15 years, his research has focused on multimedia learning. In this interview, he discusses his current research agenda concerning multimedia learning and responds to critical questions regarding web-based instruction and the nature of educational research.

Explanation and quantification in educational research: the arguments of critical and scientific realism

The influence of Bhaskar's critical realism has become increasingly evident in the debate on the nature of educational research. This philosophy, dedicated to the overthrow of positivist doctrines, in particular those of empiricism, nominalism, and causation as constant conjunction, is the foundation of contemporary proposals for new perspectives and possibilities in educational research. There are, however, aspects of critical realism, as it is presented, that may repay further reflection. This article suggests that the rejection of statistical modelling by critical realism is not supported by scientific realism. The argument is illustrated by substantive analyses of the relationship between poverty and educational attainment (reading) using the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) 2000 UK data set. It is concluded that an approach to the construction of explanatory narratives based on scientific realism is more likely to effect a principled integration of the theory and practice of qualitative and quantitative research.

What can the literature on communities of practice tell us about educational research? Reflections on some recent proposals1

Several writers have appealed to the literature on communities of practice as a way of thinking about the nature of educational research. In this paper, I look at the benefits and dangers of doing this. There seem to be two main sorts of lesson that have been drawn from this literature, one about research as an activity in its own right, the other about its relationship to educational practice. These ideas certainly suggest some important points about educational research itself, for example countering the notion that it could involve merely following an abstract set of methodological rules derived from the model of natural science. However, there have long been criticisms of this type of naturalism, and so there is a question about whether the literature on communities of practice adds anything distinctive in this respect, for example by comparison with the work of Kuhn in the history and philosophy of science. There is also the issue of whether educational research is a single community of practice, or is a field containing multiple such communities; and whether the literature on communities of practice effectively rules out any attempt at community building as against the organic growth of local cultures. The second strand of argument, this time about the relationship between research and educational practice, is potentially very radical in its implications. Indeed, I will suggest that it threatens to eradicate educational research as a distinctive form of activity. However, it raises some serious questions about the literature on situated learning in communities of practice, concerning the roles of reflection, propositional knowledge and narrative. While not wishing to deny the value of this literature, I conclude that any application of its central ideas to the case of research requires considerable caution.

Reflections on educational research in South Africa

A definition of educational research is proposed: Educational research is a particular mode of social service, using rigorous scientific endeavours for the continuous improvement of educational practice. The key components of this definition are used to reflect on educational research in South Africa as (1) a particular mode of social service (with discussion of an ethical code for educational research and national educational research priorities), (2) scientific endeavour (with reference to the nature of educational research, dissertations, scientific articles and research programme reports), and (3) role players in the continuous improvement of educational practice (with reference to policy making and operational practice). It is evident that educational research in South Africa has a noteworthy record of national and regional impact. Present threats to its academic stature and praxiological impact can only be overcome by taking appropriate and timely research management action.

Fussing about the Nature of Educational Research: The neo‐realists versus the relativists

Fussing about the Nature of Educational Research: The neo‐realists versus the relativists

Educational research in India: Policy and Practice

This paper examines the nature of educational research in India and its implication for policy making and practice. It begins with the description of the system of education in India. The paper further presents a conceptual framework for undertaking policy research in education. The policy research may be related to its formulation and implementation. The research can take the form of theoretical analysis, critique, field survey and studies, and case studies. The results of this research provide feedback to the educational policy. An analysis of an educational research in India indicates that most of the research has primarily been of academic nature and rarely attempts have been made to conduct studies having policy implications. Input for the formulation of educational policy in India has mainly come from the reports of the Commissions and Committees, Five Year Plans, All India Educational Surveys, etc. The paper argues for undertaking researches on socially relevant problems having implication for policy and practice.

What To Do About Educational Research’s Credibility Gaps?

Educational research is continually being thrashed for its poor quality. Several recent efforts to define better research standards have sputtered. Acknowledging others’ arguments that the nature of educational research is applied (directed at problems of schooling), heterogeneous (multidisciplinary), and complex (multidimensional), we nonetheless advocate more widespread implementation of scientifically based research methodologies. Our central thesis focuses on the concept of credible evidence. We suggest that most educational research approaches that are in vogue today are incapable of yielding empirical evidence that is convincing from either a scientific or a prescriptive standpoint. After offering a refresher on the logic underlying carefully controlled scientific investigations and then contrasting current educational research inquiry with inquiry characteristic of medical research, we present an educational research model in which what we refer to as “randomized classroom trials” studies are accorded a position of prominence. We provide examples of candidate topics for such studies and discuss the challenging issues that must be resolved so that educational practice will be better informed by educational research evidence that is credible.

What to do about educational research's credibility gaps?

Educational research is continually being thrashed for its poor quality. Several recent efforts to define better research standards have sputtered. Acknowledging others' arguments that the nature of educational research is applied (directed at problems of schooling), heterogeneous (multidisciplinary), and complex (multidimensional). we nonetheless advocate more widespread implementation of scientifically based research methodologies. Our central thesis focuses on the concept of credible evidence. We suggest that most educational research approaches that are in vogue today are incapable of yielding empirical evidence that is convincing from either a scientific or a prescriptive standpoint. After offering a refresher on the logic underlying carefully controlled scientific investigations and then contrasting current educational research inquiry with inquiry characteristic of medical research, we present an educational research model in which what we refer to as “randomized classroom trials” studies are accorded a position of prominence. We provide examples of candidate topics for such studies and discuss the challenging issues that must be resolved so that educational practice will be better informed by educational research evidence that is credible.

Research News And Comment: The Changing Nature of Educational Research and a Critique of Postmodernism

Although there are many innovations that affect the field of educational inquiry, it appears that postmodernism provides educational researchers with the most destabilizing and profound set of challenges. The overall purpose of this commentary is to describe and to critique the recent changes in educational inquiry by outlining the themes and the implications associated with the current interest in postmodernism. Specifically, three types of changes are examined. A discussion of methodological patterns focuses on the heightened interest in narrative inquiry. A discussion of summative content examines the manner in which those working within a postmodern framework attempt to draw conclusions from the complex style of writing that is characteristic of postmodernism. Consideration of disciplinary foundations examines the recent shift of interest toward humanities-based research. For each of these changes, I consider implications related to how educational researchers communicate with the larger educational community. Additionally, I examine the way current changes in educational inquiry may affect the publication process that regulates the discourse of educational research. Finally, I provide a few recommendations for how we might develop initiatives for the academic preparation of educational researchers, given some of the changes introduced here.

The Changing Nature of Educational Research and a Critique of Postmodernism

The Changing Nature of Educational Research and a Critique of Postmodernism