Quastion Paper

UGRU Journal

Volume 8, Spring 2009

Educational Research: An introduction to basic concepts and terminology
By: Hilda Freimuth Introduction One of the major deterrents to pursuing a Ph.D. for many educators is the esoteric language used in research. This paper is meant to de-mystify some of the terminology as well as present some basic ideas studied in an educational research program. Although not perfect, this paper provides an easily-understandable perspective of some educational research concepts. The hope is to dispel fears other educators may have of pursuing higher levels of research study due to the difficulty of various concepts and terminology in the field. The paper concludes that there are many ways of conducting research and many ways in which the research process itself is influenced.

Concepts of Epistemology and Ontology The first two terms often associated with educational research, epistemology and ontology, frighten even the most educated of us. Before a discussion begins on epistemology and ontology and their effects on one’s choice of research paradigms, methods, and techniques, a definition of both is best presented to help us ease into the matter.

The term ‘epistemology’, according to Johnson and Duberley (2000), remains to this day, despite its philosophical roots extending back to the times of Aristotle and Plato, still somewhat obscure. The word itself stems from two Greek words: episteme (meaning knowledge or science) and logos (meaning theory or account or knowledge). The two combined, then, form the following easily-understood meaning: the knowledge of/about knowledge (Johnson & Duberley, 2000).

This term is further clarified by Walker and Evers (1988) and Somekh and Lewin (2005) with a general definition of epistemology presented as the study of the nature and extent of knowledge and truth. 1

UGRU Journal

Volume 8, Spring 2009

Thayer-Bacon (1996) tries to widen this traditional definition of epistemology by

References: Belbase, S. (2007). Diversity of Research Paradigm. Retrieved Nov. 17/08 from website: http://www.tesionline.com/intl/indepth.jsp?id=1124 Belsey, C Burbules, N. & Peters, M. (2004). Post-structuralism and educational research. Lanham, USA: Rowman & Littlefield. Corvi, R. (1997). An introduction to the thought of Karl Popper. London, UK: Routledge. Denzin, N. & Lincoln, Y. (2003). The landscape of qualitative research: Theories and issues. London, UK: Sage. Gibson, I.,Allen, G., Sturman, A., & Danaher, P.A. (2008). Research methods in Education: Study Book. Toowoomba: University of Southern Queensland, Australia. Giroux, H. (1981). Ideology culture and the process of schooling. London, UK: Falmer Press. Giroux, H. (2001). Theory and resistance in education: Towards a pedagogy for the opposition. New Hampshire, USA: Greenwood Publishing Group. Volume 8, Spring 2009 Green, J., Camilli, G., Elmore, P., Skukauskaite, A., American Educational Research Association, Grace, E., (2006) Hustler, D. (2005). Chapter 1: Ethnography. In Somekh, B. & Lewin, C. (2005), Research methods in the social sciences. London, UK: Sage Publications. Johnson, P. & Duberley, J. (2000). Understanding Management Research. London, UK: Sage Publications. Merriam, S. (2001). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco, USA: Jossey-Bass Publisher. Moody, Daniel (2002). Empirical research methods. Retrieved Nov. 11/08 from www.idi.ntnu.no/~ekaterip/dif8916/Empirical%20Research%20Methods%20Outline.pdf Olssen, Mark (2006). Foucault and the imperatives of education: critique and selfcreation in a non-foundational world. Studies in Philosophy and Education. Spring 2006, Vol 25, p. 245-271. Richards, Keith (2003). Qualitative inquiry in TESOL. New York, USA: Palgrave Macmillan. Somekh, B. & Lewin, C. (Eds) (2005). Research methods in the social sciences Tripp, D. (1992). Critical theory in educational research. Issues in Educational Research. 2 (1) 1992, p 13-23. Trochim, W. (2006). Positivism and post-positivism. Retrieved Nov. 11/08 from website: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/positvsm.php Wallen, N Walker, J., & and Evers, C. (1988). The epistemological unity of educational research. In J.P.Keeves (Ed.), Educational research methodology and measurement: An international handbook (p28-36). Pergamon Press: Sydney, NSW. Weber, R. (2004). The rhetoric of positivism versus interpretivism: A personal view. MIS Quarterly March 2004, Vol 28, No. 1, p. iii-xii.