Research Methods in Education and the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide to Theories, Principles, Strategies and Analytical Skills, Needed to Complete a Higher Degree Research Proposal and Thesis

Abstract

A good way to introduce the subject of Research Methods to students and scholars in education and the social sciences is to start by explaining what we mean by research in non-technical, layperson's terms. We humans, are by nature curious about ourselves, and about our environments, and are forever seeking to understand the nature of the different phenomena that constitute our contexts. The foundational understanding of research in education is that it is simply a means of trying to understand the complexities of the educational and social science challenges that students, teachers, and others in these contexts face. This meaning can actually be applied, not just to research in education and the social sciences, but also to any research. Put this way, research can be seen as a means to understanding something. In the words of two leading scholars in the field of educational research, "by research, we mean an enquiry which seeks to make known something about a field of practice or activity which is currently unknown to the researcher" (Brown & Dowling, p. 7). Together with experience and reasoning, research is one of the three primary means humans use to understand the nature of their world (Mouly, 1978). For us in education and the social sciences, our research seeks to understand the nature of our world in these contexts, not only to discover and to determine what is 'truth' or not, but also to gain insights into what might be problems in these contexts, and alternative strategies that could be applied to solve those problems.