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The Myth of ‘Scientific Method’ in Contemporary Educational Research
Author(s) -
ROWBOTTOM DARRELL PATRICK,
AISTON SARAH JANE
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of philosophy of education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.501
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1467-9752
pISSN - 0309-8249
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9752.2006.00508.x
Subject(s) - positivism , educational research , epistemology , sociology , mythology , research methodology , social science , philosophy , population , demography , theology
Whether educational research should employ the ‘scientific method’ has been a recurring issue in its history. Hence, textbooks on research methods continue to perpetuate the idea that research students ought to choose between competing camps: ‘positivist’ or ‘interpretivist’. In reference to one of the most widely referred to educational research methods textbooks on the market—namely Research Methods in Education by Cohen, Manion, and Morrison—this paper demonstrates (1) the misconception of science in operation and (2) the perversely false dichotomy that has become enshrined in educational research. It then advocates a new approach, and suggests that the fixation with ‘science’ versus ‘non‐science’ is counterproductive, when what is actually required for good inquiry is a critical approach to knowledge claims.