The nature of educational research
The nature of educational research
Unlike scientific research, which has its roots and underlying assumptions firmly entrenched within the positivist paradigm, educational research has emerged from – and encompasses – a broad range of different assumptions and philosophies. This difference carries important implications in terms of the sorts of questions that can be asked and methods that can be used, as the defining principles of the scientific method (such as the application of control in order to test the effect of one variable on another) are not always relevant or appropriate for investigating matters of educational concern. In education, the priority is not always that of being able to measure objectively the impact a given factor for the purposes of generalisation, but of exploring the contextual and subjective issues involved in a particular situation.
In many cases (but not always), an interpretative approach (or other approach born from the social rather than natural sciences) can represent a more appropriate means of researching issues in education. However, the value of any method lies only in its capacity to address the particular question being asked, so the first task for any researcher is to decide precisely what it is they are interested in finding out. Once this is clear, the researcher is then in a position to decide whether a quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods approach is most appropriate for eliciting the data needed to answer their question. This is one of a series of decisions that needs to be made throughout the research process, as detailed in each of the following sections:
- Identifying the rationale for and potential impact of your study
- Identifying an appropriate research question
- Conducting a literature review
- Gaining ethical approval
- Practical issues to consider
- Research or evaluation?
Dr Neil Upadhyay