Developments in educational research

This trend can be coupled with the use of information technology for research
activity. The role of information technology has enabled researchers to break out
of disciplinary boundaries and move forward with speed and success.
The Internet
The storage and retrieval of research data on the Internet play an important role
not only in keeping researchers abreast of developments across the world, but
also in providing access to data which can inform literature searches to establish
construct and content validity in their own research.
Some of websites:
http://www.aera.net (the website of the American Educational Research Association);
http://www.acer.edu.au/index2.html (the website of the Australian Council for
Educational Research);
http://www.bera.ac.uk (the website of the British Educational Research Association);
Simulations
In the field of education this has spawned research into schools as high reliability organizations
(Morrison, 1998:768)
Simulations have two main components: a system in which the researcher is interested and that
lends itself to be modelled or simulated, and a model of that system (Wilcox, 1997).
The key features of simulations are:
The computer can model and imitate the behaviour of systems and their major attributes.
Computer use can help us to understand the system that is being imitated by testing the simulation
in a range of simulated, imitated environments (e.g. enabling researchers to see what happens if
the system is allowed to run its course or if variables are manipulated, i.e. to be able to predict).
The mathematical formula models and interpretsrepresents and processeskey features of
the reality rather than catching and manipulating the fine grain of reality.
Mathematical relationships are assumed to be acting over and over again deterministically in
controlled, bounded and clearly defined situations, on occasions giving rise to unanticipated,
emergent and unexpected, wide-ranging outcomes (Tymms, 1996:124).
Feedback and multiple, continuous iteration are acceptable procedures for understanding the
emergence of phenomena and behaviours.
Complex and wide-ranging phenomena and behaviours derive from the repeated interplay of
initial conditions/variables.
Deterministic laws (the repeated calculation of a formula) lead to unpredictable outcomes (chaos).

Fuzzy logic
Fuzzy logic recognizes that properties (e.g. fast, slow, tall, low, high, moderate,
adequate, mature, developed, competent) have continuously varying values, and
that we partition these values comparatively and arbitrarily into semantic
categories or sections (e.g. on a rating scale).
Geographical Information Systems

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is a computer-based system for capturing,

storing, validating, analyzing and displaying spatial data, both large scale and small
scale, integrating several types of data from different sources.
for example: What is the effect of parental choice on school catchments?; What
is the spread of examination scores in a particular region?; How effective is the
provision of secondary schools for a given population?; How can a transport
system be made more effective for taking students to and from school?; What is
the evidence for the creation of magnet and sink schools in a particular city?
Needs analysis

Its pedigree in education is rooted in evaluation studies and research (Suarez,

1994). Needs analysis can be used, for example, to:
identify students instructional needs;
identify programme provision needs (and gaps in present provision);
ascertain weaknesses in students achievements or provision;
provide information on in-service needs;
determine where deficits exist so that they can be addressed;
identify areas for expenditure and educational development.
In planning a needs analysis, then, four main steps can be followed:
Step 1 Decide the purposes of the needs analysis and the definitions of needs that
are to be used.
Step 2 Identify the focus of the needs analysis.
Step 3 Decide the methodology, sampling, instrumentation, data collection and
analysis procedures and criteria to be used to judge the size, scope, extent,
severity etc. of the need.
Step 4 Decide the reporting and dissemination of the results.

Evidence-based education

This is a term that has been coined to cover the growth in interest in particular
types of data and research in education.
Fitz-Gibbons work is critical of multilevel modelling and, instead, suggests how
indicator systems can be used with experimental methods to provide clear
evidence of causality and a ready answer to her own question: how do we know
what works? (Fitz-Gibbon, 1999:33).
She suggests that evidence-based approaches are necessary in order to: (a)
challenge the imposition of unproven practices; (b) solve problems and avoid
harmful procedures; (c) create improvement that leads to more effective learning.