Course: Education Research (837)

Semester: Autumn, 2020

Level: M. Ed
ASSIGNMENT No. 1
Q NO.1
Explain expert opinion, rationality and magic as sources of knowledge. To what
extent they are useful now-a-days?
Answer:
In many of the sciences, be it psychological or purely biological, there are “experts” who claim to be
the masters of their field. In western society experts are respected, though with this they can easily
manipulate their information, for example Dr. Oz and his “natural cures” to many medical problems.
Though when his expertise was questioned it was uncovered that he was deeply influenced by
funding from pharmaceutical companies. Though experts may help in the search for knowledge,
we as part of modern society have become to dependent on the knowledge of experts to an extent
where some will only accept information from “experts”. But have we become more close minded
due to these self proclaimed experts? Personally I describe an expert as person who has an
extensive knowledge in a subject who also gives a professional opinion on the subject that is
respected. The term Knowledge is often seen as a fact that is completely true, this means that the
search for knowledge is just a search for facts that are truth.
An expert may guide the path towards knowledge for learners making acquiring knowledge much
easier. In many forms of knowledge the information is clouded by opinion but in the sciences,
mathematics and history very seldom is opinion part of the interpretation. For example, I have been
a fan of the Dutch Football League since I can remember. My parents watched the games thus I
did too. For a time (before the team was changed drastically in 2008 people could ask me virtually
anything about the team. The players, their numbers and positions. I knew everything about the
KNVB to Ajax, along with my brother, another avid fan. This wealth of knowledge on this subject
titled me an “expert” of the subject, and people respected my word about it. But these facts did not
require interpretation thus making me an expert on book knowledge, not on actual personal
knowledge and interpretation of the subject. When interpretation is required a bias on the subject is
formed and the knowledge is clouded.
This expertise can be contrasted when someone wants to acquire knowledge on a subject that
requires interpretation. For example someone could ask “Do you believe that the Netherlands
should have won the 2010 Fifa World Cup?” to which I would answer “yes” which brings in my
personal bias on the subject because my opinion is that The Netherlands National Team is much
better that the Spanish National Team. Many other “experts” will say that Spain rightfully took the
Fifa World Cup that year and may well say that the Netherlands did no deserve to even have the
privilege to take part in the Finals. This is evidence that even experts hold bias within their opinions,
not being able to put their personal opinion aside to expand the knowledge of the learner. Often
experts have opinions that have been nurtured into their system when their minds were young
such as religion, culture and actual setting where they grew up. History, one of the many areas of
knowledge, has many different opinions that history experts express. The records that hold the
history of the world may be manipulated by people to create a greater interest in the learner.
History may also be manipulated to create a greater emotional response. Author Richard Verrall
denied the Holocaust stating that the holocaust was a cover to hide the Allied war crimes during
the Second World War and an excuse for the creation of the State of Israel. His book “Did Six
Million Really Die?” is the main subject of his arguments. But the author was part of a anti-Semitic
organization called the British National Front. The book as result was written with anti-Semitic
views and put the condition of the Jews in the Holocaust at a much less concerning level.
Verrall had a hidden agenda that many of his readers did not catch onto. His book is a
perfect example of how knowledge can be bent by experts to add their biases to their
writings to spread their opinions.
Because we have perceived experts as having validity and authority it is hard for one who
is not an “expert” to reproach their claims. This happens in all subjects where the teacher
is often not questioned and the knowledge is blindly consumed. In the American School
System there famously was a teacher who claimed that kilometers were greater than
miles. When one of the students questioned the teacher about the claim the teacher
responded by telling the parents of the student that the student should be more respectful
towards authority figures. This example shows that even though the teacher, an “expert” in
their subject, was horribly wrong their authoritative nature kept them thinking that they were
completely right.
Q NO 2

Write key points of different aspects of research in your own

words.

Answer:

Research is not always a concept that practitioners, managers

and policy makers respect. Too often it is seen as an academic
activity conducted by others – to the profession, not with the
profession. But I believe it should be respected. In fact I’d say
education professionals are always learning, finding out things,
analysing information, adapting their behaviour according to
information received, looking to improve and adapting to
modern demands. All of this constitutes research - whether
professionals want to call it that or not.

Let’s briefly imagine the world of education without research:

1. On what would the learning and teaching experience be

based without underpinning research?

If education is not based upon research and evidence, then it

runs the risk of being based upon one or more of the following:

• Dogma

• Theory
• Ideology

• Convenience

• Prejudice

Allow me to unpack these:

• Education is a political football and can be used for

propaganda and political purposes. I believe that there is a
moral dimension to the profession – and to follow dogma blindly
is wrong. Education should serve to liberate, and promote
democracy and equality of opportunity.

• Similarly ideo

Q NO 3

Write your own words the advantages of educational research.

Answer:

ducational research refers to the systematic collection and

analysis of data related to the field of education. Research may
involve a variety of methods and various aspects of education
including student learning, teaching methods, teacher training,
and classroom dynamics.

Educational researchers generally agree that research should

be rigorous and systematic. However, there is less agreement
about specific standards, criteria and research
procedures.Educational researchers may draw upon a variety of
disciplines including psychology, sociology, anthropology, and
philosophy. Methods may be drawn from a range of disciplines.
Conclusions drawn froman individual research study may be
limited by the characteristics of the participants who were
studied and the conditions under which the study was
conducted. There is no single "correct" way of conducting
research in the field of education.

Gary Anderson outlined ten aspects of educational research

Educational research attempts to solve a problem.

Research involves gathering new data from primary or first-

hand sources or using existing data for a new purpose.

Research is based upon observable experience or empirical

evidence.

Research demands accurate observation and description.

Research generally employs carefully designed procedures and

rigorous analysis.

Research emphasizes the development of generalizations,

principles or theories that will help in understanding, prediction
and/or control.

Research requires expertise—familiarity with the field;

competence in methodology; technical skill in collecting and
analyzing the data.

Research attempts to find an objective, unbiased solution to the

problem and takes great pains to validate the procedures
employed.

Research is a deliberate and unhurried activity which is

directional but often refines the problem or questions as the
research progresses.

Research is carefully recorded and reported to other persons

interested in the problem.

Q NO 4

Describe the action research in your own words. Why action

research is not much conducted in

Pakistan?

Answer:

Action research is a philosophy and methodology of research

generally applied in the social sciences. It seeks transformative
change through the simultaneous process of taking action and
doing research, which are linked together by critical reflection.
Kurt Lewin, then a professor at MIT, first coined the term "action
research" in 1944. In his 1946 paper "Action Research and
Minority Problems" he described action research as "a
comparative research on the conditions and effects of various
forms of social action and research leading to social action"
that uses "a spiral of steps, each of which is composed of a
circle of planning, action and fact-finding about the result of the
action". Action research is an interactive inquiry process that
balances problem-solving actions implemented in a
collaborative context with data-driven collaborative analysis or
research to understand underlying causes enabling future
predictions about personal and organizational change.[1] After
six decades of action research development, many methods
have evolved that adjust the balance to focus more on the
actions taken or more on the research that results from the
reflective understanding of the actions. This tension exists
between

those who are more driven either by the researcher's agenda or

by participants;

those who are motivated primarily by instrumental goal

attainment or by the aim of personal, organizational or societal
transformation; and
1st-, to 2nd-, to 3rd-person research, that is, my research on my
own action, aimed primarily at personal change; our research on
our group (family/team), aimed primarily at improving the group;
and 'scholarly' research aimed primarily at theoretical
generalization or large-scale change.

Action research challenges traditional social science by moving

beyond reflective knowledge created by outside experts
sampling variables, to an active moment-to-moment theorizing,
data collecting and inquiry occurring in the midst of emergent
structure. "Knowledge is always gained through action and for
action. From this starting point, to question the validity of social
knowledge is to question, not how to develop a reflective
science about action, but how to develop genuinely well-
informed action – how to conduct an action science".[3] In this
sense, engaging in action research is a form of problem-based
investigation by practitioners into their practice, thus it is an
empirical process. The goal is both to create and share
knowledge in the social sciences.

Q NO 5 Define historical research. Discuss the characteristics

and significance of hisotrical research.

ANSWER:

Historical research is a qualitative technique. Historical research

studies the meaning of past events in an attempt to interpret the
facts and explain the cause of events, and their effect in the
present events. In doing so, researchers rely heavily on primary
historical data (direct accounts of events, archival data - official
documents, personal records, and records of eyewitnesses) and
less frequently on secondary historical data (information from
persons who didn’t witness the event; e.g. textbooks,
newspapers, encyclopedias).

Characteristics ? Historical research involves the careful study

and analysis of data about past events. ? It is a critical
investigation of events, their development, experiences of past.
? The purpose is to gain a clearer understanding of the impact
of past on present and future events related to life process.

Historical method is the collection of techniques and guidelines

that historians use to research and write histories of the past.
Primary sources and other evidence including those from
archaeology are used.

Subsequently, question is, what are the advantages and

disadvantages of historical research? 10 ADVANTAGES &
DISADVANTAGES OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH Advantages #
Permits the investigation of topics that could be studies in no
other way. # The only research method that can study evidence
from the past. Disadvantages # Controlling for many of the
threats to internal validity is not possible in historical research.

Keeping this in view, what is the purpose of historical research?

The purpose of historical research is to reach insights or

conclusions about past persons or occurrences. Historical
research entails more than simply compiling and presenting
factual information; it also requires interpretation of the
information.

What are the different historical methods?

Approaches to History
Anthropology and History. This Approach introduces students
to the work of cultural and social anthropologists, and to the
way it has influenced the thinking of historians in recent
decades.

Archaeology and History.

Art and History.

Economics and History.

Gender and History.

Sociology and History.