Importance and Benefits of Educational Research

Importance and Benefits of Educational Research

Introduction

Empirical research is disciplined. It is distinguished “by the ways observations are collected, evidence is marshaled, arguments are drawn, and opportunities are afforded for replication, verification, and refutation”. The essential criterion for judging empirical evidence, from a research perspective, is validity; researchers must defend their interpretations of evidence against counter-interpretations.

Discussion and Analysis

Empirical research is sometimes equated with statistics and experimentation, in contrast to qualitative methods and naturalistic inquiry. We think this contrast is misleading for several reasons. First, it leads a researcher to concentrate on methodology rather than conceptualization. Second, it implies that the researcher must choose between what are often characterized as “hard” and “soft” approaches. Third, it overlooks the fact that virtually all significant educational problems call for a mix of methods, and all require rigorous conceptualization and creative design. Shulman (1988) advises novice researchers, “Become skilled and experienced in at least two methodologies ..., become aware of the rich variety of methods of disciplined inquiry..., [and] do not limit your education to methodology alone.” Our notion of empirical research design will encompass a full range of systematic approaches directed toward both theoretical and practical questions. The most appropriate starting point for a research project is a problem: questions unanswered by a previous investigation, a pragmatic need, or a theoretical puzzle. Conceptualization and design focused on the problem should then determine the methods. Conceptualization represents the researcher's efforts to understand and analyze the structure of a research question. Design, the focus of this chapter, covers the variety of strategies for planning data collection in a way that generates valid answers to the research question.

Research Strategy

Novices tend to begin a research project by thinking, “I'd like to prove that....” Educators tend to advocate their favored positions and actions. “Spelling tests are bad (or good).” “English teachers should (or should not) know about linguistics.” “Promoting student motivation is (or is not) a critical ingredient in a writing assignment.” We can become passionate about these matters. Such hypotheses are entirely appropriate as starting points for inquiry, but developing a research problem requires a fundamental shift toward “I wonder what will happen....” For instance, the earlier proposals now take shape as questions. Under what conditions are spelling tests bad or good? What are the effects of linguistic background on the thinking and behavior of English teachers? In what ways do higher or lower levels of motivation affect students' responses to different types of writing assignments?

The revised questions can open Pandora 's Box because they challenge the researcher to explore a universe of possibilities. No longer is the task to compare one condition with another. Rather, the investigator is led to think about a broad array of situations, outcomes, and individuals. Spelling tests come in many flavors, and may help with some tasks (new spelling tests) and interfere with others (writing assignments), for some students (compulsives) but not others (impulsives). How to grapple with the infinite possibilities? The simple answer emerges from the application ...