INTRODUCTION

OF
EDUCATION RESEARCH

By
Anila Yasmin
 SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE

People have always tried to understand, discuss, explain

and control the things and events around them. Sense
perception, reason, tradition, authority, metaphysics,
magic, expert opinion, personal experience, deduction
and induction and science are among the system that
have been used to acquire the knowledge.

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 Effort has been made in this unit to highlight following
sources of knowledge.

Sense Perception
Tradition
Authority
Rationality
Magic
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 Sense Perception
The earliest understanding of the environment probably
came through sense perception. It ranges from practical
judgments and experiences in everyday life. The sense
perception may be defined as a connected series of
concepts that help people to make sense out of a chaotic
environment and to function more effectively in it.
But
Sense perception conclusions have been and can be
valuable, let they can be wrong.
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 Tradition
The dependence on tradition or custom is also necessary. We
often refer to custom and tradition in the event of solving a
problem. In many activities and situations this ready reckoner
serves the purpose very well. It largely determines bur mode of
facing the situations and mode of making adjustments. The
comb ne customs and traditions specify for us our food, clothes,
speech, dealings etc. Ordinarily we obey the customs and
traditions and avoid violating them. We try to seek explanations
of the phenomena through the media of traditions and
customs.
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 Authority
The expert or the scholar is a center of authority to whom we
look in times of crisis still. The scholars, philosophers,
economists or scientists are the most dependable interpreters
of the existing knowledge, evidence as well as the sources of
new ideas, innovations and inspirations. The expert of discipline
is considered to have a solution for every problem of the area
concerned.
Finally
Authority is a valuable source of knowledge but it does have a
major weakness. An authority, whether a political figure,
parent, religious leader or scholar can be wrong. Anila Yasmin
 Expert opinion

Sometimes in search of knowledge one can take the testimony

of experts who, because of their intellect, training, expert
experience or aptitudes, are better informed than other people.
Contacts and discussions with experts are also helpful to get
knowledge. The participation of researchers in conferences,
seminars and workshops and listening to the learned experts
are very helpful in getting knowledge and locating research
problems.

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 Rationality

Rationalism is a system by which knowledge is gained by reason

and not experiencing the world. It is also called metaphysics. It
deals with the causes and principles of existing things, not with
experience.
Rationalism regards human reason as the only reliable guide to
knowledge. Finally rationality can provide a valuable means of
knowing.

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 Magic

Another way an individual can gain knowledge and control the

world is through magic. whenever magic occurs in is
unadulterated form it assumes that in nature one event follows
another, necessarily and invariably, without intervention.

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SCIENTIFIC METHODS

By
Anila Yasmin
 Definition of Scientific Methods

Scientific methods are defined as controlled,

systematic investigations that are rooted in
objective reality & that aim to develop general
knowledge about natural phenomena.

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF SCIENTIFIC
METHODS
• They are orderly & systematic processes.
• Scientists attempt to control external factors that are not
under direct investigation.
• Their findings are based on the empirical evidences.
• Findings of scientific methods can be generalized,which
means that they can be used in situations other than the
one under study.
• Scientific methods are based on assumptions or hypothesis.
• They are basically conduced to develop or test hypothesis.
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 Purposes of Scientific Methods

The basic purposes of scientific methods are

description, exploration, explanation, prediction,
control, prescription, & identification of
relationship of the facts.

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 STEPS OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS
• Selecting the topic & identifying the research
problem
• Defining the objectives of the study.
• Reviewing the literature from theory & other
related studies.
• Defining concepts & variables to be studied.
• Stating hypothesis about expected observations
or phenomenon to be studied. Anila Yasmin
 STEPS OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS
• Determining the ethical implication of the proposed study.
• Describing the research design & methods for data
collection.
• Defining study population & sample.
• Planning the data analysis & discussion.
• Collecting data from subjects.
• Analyzing &interpreting data.
• Communicating finding of the study.
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 LIMITATIONS OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS

1. Moral or ethical problem

2. Human complexity
3. Measurement problems
4. External variable control problems

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 LIMITATIONS OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS
1. Moral or ethical problem
• Most studies would require humans as the subject
of their research.
• The constraint of involving humans, which is
essential for observing human behavior for
experimentation, is one such ethical problem.
• Thus, reliable scientific data cannot always be
collected.
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 LIMITATIONS OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS

2. Human complexity
• Human behavior is complicated, subtle & varied
• It is very difficult to categorize human behavior
• When human behavior is studied & analyzed by
other human beings, the personal biases come
into the picture & distort the analytical facts.
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 LIMITATIONS OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS
3. Measurement Problems:
• Different aspects of human behavior are psychological
in nature, which cannot be accurately measured.
• Human behavior is not uniform, certain, or predictable.
• All the people do not behave in the same way in similar
circumstances.
• Therefore,
with humans as subjects, measurements
become a challenge.
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EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

By
Anila Yasmin
 WHAT IS RESEARCH ?
Research in common parlance refers to a reach for
knowledge. As a scientific and systematic search for
pertinent information on a specific topic. In fact research
is an art of scientific investigating.

According to Advanced Learners' Dictionary of Current

English:
“A careful investigation or inquiry specially through search
for new facts in any branch of knowledge.” Anila Yasmin
 WHAT IS EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH?
Education research is a process of solving problems
related to education. Education. It is careful and
critical search for knowledge related to education. It
is the formal process to correct precious errors,
manipulate and control variables, verify and extend
theories and generalities and discover new things
with an ultimate objective to advance for the welfare
of the society.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHES

1. Educational research involves a process which is

formal, systematic and exhaustive. The investigator
has to proceed very systematically to achieve his
objectives.
He has to be very careful in making manipulations,
applying controls, making analysis of data, testing
hypotheses and making generalization for the
advancement of knowledge in the field of education.
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CHARACTERISTICS of EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH?

2. Educational research investigates theories and skills

of education as education is both science and art.
3. Educational research is scientific in the sense that it
involves the testing of hypotheses.
4. Educational research corrects previous errors and
misconceptions and brings new facts into light. It
suggests improvements in different areas related to
education.
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 WAYS OF KNOWING
•Five ways we can know something
•Personal experience
•Tradition
•Experts and authorities
•Logic
-Inductive
-Deductive
•The scientific method Anila Yasmin
RESEARCH PROCESS CYCLE

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CHARACTERISTICS of EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH?

2. Educational research investigates theories and skills

of education as education is both science and art.
3. Educational research is scientific in the sense that it
involves the testing of hypotheses.
4. Educational research corrects previous errors and
misconceptions and brings new facts into light. It
suggests improvements in different areas related to
education.
Anila Yasmin
Your views and reviews?

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 Thank you

May Allah keep you in His Divine Protection

Ameen

Anila Yasmin