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A Companion to Research in EducationThe Design(s) of Educational Research: Description and Interpretation

A Companion to Research in Education: The Design(s) of Educational Research: Description and... [The chapter questions the use of (quasi-) experimental designs as the exclusive (or the best) way to conduct educational research. It focuses not only on the problems of a quantitative approach, often ignoring the ‘ends’ and invoking ‘factors’ which operate independently, but also identifies the weaknesses of qualitative research, i.e. often stating the obvious and betraying the holistic nature of its own presuppositions. Starting from the insights of Peter Winch it is argued that one should start from ‘what makes sense for us’. Educational research is ‘philosophical’, i.e. it is about ‘concepts’ and ‘social practice’. Such an interpretative stance highlights further that educational research should be seen as a performative intervention that is interested in various modes of explanation and thus uses various methods. It contributes to the task of improving upon our practical knowledge of ongoing social life which presupposes dialogue between all those involved.] http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

A Companion to Research in EducationThe Design(s) of Educational Research: Description and Interpretation

Editors: Reid, Alan D.; Hart, E. Paul; Peters, Michael A.
Smeyers, Paul
A Companion to Research in Education — Aug 16, 2013
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Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Copyright
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014
ISBN
978-94-007-6808-6
Pages
67 –76
DOI
10.1007/978-94-007-6809-3_9
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

[The chapter questions the use of (quasi-) experimental designs as the exclusive (or the best) way to conduct educational research. It focuses not only on the problems of a quantitative approach, often ignoring the ‘ends’ and invoking ‘factors’ which operate independently, but also identifies the weaknesses of qualitative research, i.e. often stating the obvious and betraying the holistic nature of its own presuppositions. Starting from the insights of Peter Winch it is argued that one should start from ‘what makes sense for us’. Educational research is ‘philosophical’, i.e. it is about ‘concepts’ and ‘social practice’. Such an interpretative stance highlights further that educational research should be seen as a performative intervention that is interested in various modes of explanation and thus uses various methods. It contributes to the task of improving upon our practical knowledge of ongoing social life which presupposes dialogue between all those involved.]

Published: Aug 16, 2013

Keywords: Interpretative research; Winch; Holistic approach; What makes sense for us; Performative intervention

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