Types of educational research

1. Historical research generates descriptions, and sometimes attempted explanations, of conditions, situations, a nd events that have occurred in the past. For example, a study that documents t he evolution of teacher tra in ing programs si nce the turn of the century, with the ai m of expla in ing the histor ical or igins of the content and processes of current prog rams. 2. Descriptive research provides information about conditions, situations, and events that occur in the present. For example, a survey of the physical condition of school buildings in order to establish a descriptive profile of the facilities that exist in a typical school. 3. Correlational research involves the search for relationships between variables through the use of various measures of statistical association. For example, an investigation of the relationship between teachers’ satisfaction with their job and various factors describing the provision and quality of teacher housing, salaries, leave entitlements, and the availability of classroom supplies. 4. Causal research aims to suggest causal linkages between variables by observing existing phenomena and then searching back through available data in order to try to identify plausible causal relationships. For example, a study of factors related to student ‘drop out’ from secondary school using data obtained from school records over the past decade. 5. Experimental research is used in settings where variables defining one or more ‘causes’ can be manipulated in a systematic fashion in order to discern ‘effects’ on other variables. For example, an investigation of the effectiveness of two new textbooks using random assignment of teachers and students to three groups – two groups for each of the new textbooks, and one group as a ‘control’ group to use the existing textbook. 6. Case study research generally refers to two distinct research approaches. The first consists of an in-depth study of a particular student, classroom, or school with the aim of producing a nuanced description of the pervading cultural setting that affects education, and an account of the interactions that take place between students and other relevant persons. For example, an in-depth exploration of the patterns of friendship between students in a single class. The second approach to Case Study Research involves the application of quantitative research methods to non-probability samples – which provide results that are not necessarily designed to be generalizable to wider populations. For example, a survey of the reading achievements of the students in one rural region of a particular country. 7. Ethnographic research usually consists of a description of events that occur within the life of a group – with particular reference to the interaction of individuals in the context of the sociocultural norms, rituals, and beliefs shared by the group. The researcher generally participates in some part of the normal life of the group and uses what he or she learns from this participation to understand the interactions between group members. For example, a detailed account of the daily tasks and interactions encountered by a school principal using observations gathered by a researcher who is placed in the position of ‘Principal’s Assistant’ in order to become fully involved in the daily life of the school. 8. Research and development research differs from the above types of research in that, rather than bringing new information to light, it focuses on the interaction between research and the production and evaluation of a new product. This type of research can be ‘formative’ (by collecting evaluative information about the product while it is being developed with the aim of using such information to modify and improve the development process). For example, an investigation of teachers’ reactions to the various drafts and redrafts of a new mathematics teaching kit, with the information gathered at each stage being used to improve each stage of the drafting process. Alternatively, it can be ‘summative’ (by evaluating the worth of the final product, especially in comparison to some other competing product). For example, a comparison of the mathematics achievement of students exposed to a new mathematics teaching kit in comparison with students exposed to the established mathematics curriculum.