Introduction EDU 660 Methods of Educational Research

Questions What is Science? What is Research? What is Learning? What is Knowledge?

What is Science? A method of learning about the Physical universe by applying the principles of the scientific method, which includes making empirical observations, proposing hypotheses to explain those observations, and testing those hypotheses in valid and reliable ways. Oceanography Dictionary

What is Research? Research is learning how to learn on your own. To “re-search” a subject is literally to see it another way - gather information and evaluate it from your own point of view (Dees, 1993). “Research is the formal, systematic application of the scientific and disciplined inquiry approach to the study of problems” (Gay & Airasian, 2003, p. 3)

What is Learning? The cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge A change in behavior or attitude as a result of experience. The acquisition of knowledge or skill through study, experience or teaching.

What is Knowledge? Knowledge refers to what one knows and understands. Knowledge is the awareness and understanding of facts, truths or information gained in the form of experience or learning

Some ‘Ologies’ … Some ‘Ologies’ … P - Philosophy O - Ontology E - Epistemology M - Methodology

Some ‘Ologies’ … Some ‘Ologies’ … Ontology The study or concern about what kinds of things exist - what entities there are in the universe. The subject of ontology is the study of the categories of things that exist or may exist in some domain. Ontology reflects different views on reality.

Some ‘Ologies’ … Some ‘Ologies’ … "The life of man (is) solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short." Thomas Hobbes, Philosopher Life is Beautiful Movie by Roberto Benigni, Academy Award Winner for Best Actor Life is either miserable or horrible, and you should consider yourself lucky if most of the time you are merely miserable Woody Allen

Some ‘Ologies’ … Some ‘Ologies’ … Epistimology The study or theory of the origin, nature, methods, and limits of knowledge (study of knowledge). Epistemology is the study of how we know what we know.

Some ‘Ologies’ … Some ‘Ologies’ … Methodology How we view knowledge will impact how we design research, gather, analyze report and interpret our findings.

Some Questions Some Questions How do these ideas about ‘Ologies’ affect how we approach research? Is Your view of Knowledge the same as mine? Does your view of knowledge affect how you plan and do research? Your thoughts???

Learning Theories Learning Theories Behaviourism Cognitivism Constructivism

Behaviourism Behaviourism Behaviorists try to explain learning without referring to mental processes. For our purpose the important aspect of behavioristic theories is that the learner is viewed as adapting to the environment and learning is seen largely as a passive process in that there is no explicit treatment of/interest in mental processes. The learner merely responds to the "demands" of the environment. Knowledge is viewed as given and absolute (objective knowledge).

Cognitivism Cognitivism The cognitivistic school "went inside the head of the learner" in that they made mental processes the primary object of study and tried to discover and model the mental processes of the learner during the learning-process. In Cognitive theories knowledge is viewed as symbolic, mental constructions in the minds of individuals, and learning becomes the process of comitting these symbolic representations to memory where they may be processed. However knowledge was still viewed as given and absolute just like in the behavioristic school.

Constructivism Constructivism The constructivistic school views knowledge as a constructed entity made by each learner through a learning process. Knowledge can thus not be transmitted from one person to the other, it will have to be (re)constructed by each person. Constructivist theories emphasize the exploration and discovery by each learner as explaining the learning process. This view of knowledge differs from the "knowledge as given and absolute" views of behaviorism and cognitivism.

References References Dees, R. (1993). Writing the Modern Research Paper. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Gay, L. R., & Airasian, P. (2003). Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Applications (seventh ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education.