Scientific research methods in education and pedagogy are essential for progress in both academic and community life. This article offers a comprehensive look at the concept of educational research and its significance, as well as how scientific research methods can be employed to improve education and personal development.
Educational Research Concept
Educational literature presents many varied definitions of educational research. Here are some of them:
It’s an organized human intellectual effort, following a specific methodology in research. It includes defined steps and methods leading to knowledge about the universe, self, and society, contributing to lifestyle development and solving individual and group problems.
It’s an organized process for gathering information, and logically analyzing it for specific purposes.
What Learning Scientific Research Methods Means
The scientific research method implies that we use a systematic scientific approach to our general problems. This means we’re capable of the following:
Accurately identifying our problems helps us study and research them.
Formulating initial hypotheses assists in solving our problems.
Determining necessary procedures to test hypotheses and solve problems.
Studying scientific research methods will help us examine scientific research conducted by others, determine its usefulness, apply its results, and practice any work that requires scientific research skills for understanding its dimensions and fundamental skills.
Our choice of careers also requires the use of scientific research skills.
Therefore, it can be said: Before we embark on any profession, we should think scientifically and conduct some survey studies about work conditions and its future. Can we ask: Do we need scientific thinking or not?
Studying scientific research methods means employing a scientific approach in thinking. No one can do without scientific thinking in their life and work. It provides us with the necessary scientific means to improve our life methods, enhance our work, and develop ourselves through self-development.
Functions of Educational Research
- Advancing knowledge by creating better living conditions for individuals.
- Addressing problems through knowledge generation.
- Satisfying individual and group exploratory motives leading to self-fulfillment.
- Developing and encouraging thinking among individuals of different positions (students, managers, supervisors), achieving desirable qualities like the formation of creative, productive, and flexible individuals.
Characteristics of Scientific Research
Objectivity: This means the researcher doesn’t interfere in data collection, analysis, or interpretation, avoiding personal impressions.
Accuracy: Employing technical language in writing facilitates the reader’s understanding and comprehension of research concepts.
Logic: It means possessing inferential thinking skills.
Proof and Investigation: Commitment to objectivity enables the researcher to develop knowledge through successive research and expansion.
Experimentation: Experimentation generates organized experimental experience, and it means guiding by evidence obtained through research methods and experimentation, not relying on opinions or references.
Probabilistic Inference: Scientific research usually yields a set of probable and possible conclusions.
Reductionism: When faced with a large amount of data, researchers resort to summarizing it through analysis, leading to the extraction of generalizations and suitable theoretical frameworks.
Publishability and Generalizability: The main goal in educational research is to publish results so that they’re accessible to other researchers, helping to generate new knowledge for humanity.
Stay tuned for our next article discussing methods of acquiring knowledge, assumptions of the scientific method, research goals, and ethics.
TCHR. Mahmoud Al-Saloum – Leader of the School Education Program in Masarat Initiative
