PXGS6102EducRes

What is Research?

Research is a term that leads to much confusion. It has many meanings and when used in a scholarly context, it has to be well-defined. Among the many terms used are: basic research, applied research, action research, developmental research, evaluation research and so forth. One way to understand research, is to understand what it is not. Look at this example:

A housewife watches on TV an advertisement

promoting the latest Vitamin C which is a good a

supplement based on "years of research".

A man who intends to buy a car does "research"

browsing through various consumer reports,

catalogues, brochures and market surveys.

A secondary school student goes to the library

and surfs the internet "doing research" on the life

and achievements of Tunku Abdul Rahman.

In the strictist sense of the term, these are all not research. Looking up facts and writing them down is nothing more than fact finding and fact transcribing (Leedy, 1974). There is even the tendency to call the written work a "research report" which is not accurate. It may be a report but not a research report. There needs to a distinction between true research and the accumulation of facts. Research is a way of thinking and to qualify as a research it needs to have certain characteristics which is discussed here.

Characteristics of Research

1) Research begins with a question in the mind of the researcher.

You need only to look around and everywhere you see phenomena which will arouse your curiousity. For example, why are children in this school unable to read? Why are girls performing better than boys? These are situations in which the meaning of which you do not comprehend. By asking relevant questions we create an inquisitive environment which is the prerequisite for research. Reseach arises from a question that is intelligently asked with regards to a phenomenon that the researcher observes and is puzzling him or her.

2) Research requires a plan.

One does not discover the truth or explanations about a phenomenon without serious and meticulous planning. Research is not just by looking-up something in the hope of coming across the solution to your problem. Rather it entails a definite plan, direction and design.

3) Research demands a clear statement of the problem.

Successful research begins with a clear, simple statement of the problem. The statement of the problem:

- be stated precisely and grammatically complete

- must set forth what it seeks to discover

- enables one to see what one is attempting to research

4) Research deals with the main problem through subproblems.

Divide the main problem into appropriate subproblems, all of which when resolved will result in the solution of the main research problem.

5) Research seeks direction through appropriate hypotheses

Having stated the problem and the related subproblems, the subproblems are then each viewed through logical contructs called hypotheses. A hypothesis is a logical supposition, a reasonable guess, an educated conjecture which may give direction to thinking with respect to the problem, and thus, aid in solving it.

6) Research deals with facts and their meaning. Having defines the problem, the subproblems and hypothesis, the next step is to collect whatever facts pertinent to the problem. Organise the data collected into a form that is potentially meaningful.

The Purpose of Scientific Research

1) To Describe - describe the shape, colour, change over time, relation to other constructs and so on. Describing is the first step towards prediction.

2) To Predict - given what is known the scientist attempts to predict what might happen. For example, what is known about climate enables on to make predictions about the occurrence of typhoons.

3) To Control - by manipulating certain variables the scientist is interested in determining whether it will lead to controlling a particular condition. For example, by manipulating a variable, it may be possible to establish a cause and effect.

4) To Explain in the form of a Theory - ultimately the scientist is interested in forming a theory to explain the phenomena being investigated.

Research Defined

According to the Webster's dictionary Research is defined as "diligent search or inquiry; scientific investigation and study to discover facts".

Science is defined as the "systematic knowledge of natural or physical phenomena; truth ascertained by observation, experiment, and induction; ordered arrangement of facts known under classes or heads; theoretical knowledge as distinguished from practical; knowledge of principles and rules of invention, construction, mechanism, etc. as distinguished from art"

The Scientific Method

1) Formulate the hypothesis ( a tentative proposition about the relation between two or more theoretical constructs)

2) Test the hypothesis (design a study to establish whether the relationship between the constructs are as predicted)

3) Collect data

4) Decide to accept ot reject the hypothesis

What is a Theory?

There are many definitions as to what is theory but for our purposes in this course Theory is defined as a statement explaining a phenomenon by showing the relationship between two or more variables or contructs. For example, according to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, "Children at the pre-operational stage are not able to perform conservation tasks". The theory provides an explanation of cognitive ability by relating to a construct; i.e. "conservation tasks". Conservation is defined as the ability to recognise that an object remains unchanged when its volume, or length has undergone a transformation with nothing added or taken away.

Louise Kidder (1980) states that "a theory is a large body of interconnected propositions about how some portion of the social world operates; a hypothesis is a smaller body of propositions/ Hypothesis are small versions of theories. Some are derived or born from theories. Others begin as researchers' hunches and develop into theories. Can a theory be 'true'? Not necessarily. The scientific method makes it impossible to conclude that a theory in the behavioural sciences to be definitely true. It is possible only to disconfirm or confirm a hypothesis or theory. We cannot say that we have verified a theory because there is alwasy the possibility that some future research will disconfirm it or that some other theory will account for the same results. Theories, therefore, are always tentative. They represent the best of our knowledge for the time being but they do not represent some absolute truth. They await revision of replacement" (p. 10. Research methods in social relations. Holt-Saunders International Editions).