GLE 598 Exploration Peer Response – Description
Explore
In the explorations you will encounter materials that complement the primary readings or cast them in a different light. The resources may include articles, videos, websites, etc. Your job is to spend time reviewing each one to learn more. Feel free to spend more time exploring the websites or related videos that are of more interest to you and which have more applicability to your context.
After exploring the resources, you will write a reflection synthesizing your impression of the topic. Your reflection must include concrete evidence to demonstrate your engagement with the resources. So as you explore the resources, take note of evidence that may be relevant to your written reflection.
Reflect
In a 2-3 page double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font response (500-750 words, max), synthesize your impressions of the resources you explored. Address all of the following prompts to guide your writing. The goal is to demonstrate a thoughtful, well-reasoned engagement with the resources and to consider their potential for the field of education and to your specific context. Be sure to cite specific references using APA format.
Pring surfaces several common criticisms of educational research and proposes that a robust philosophy of educational research may help researchers produce work that is less prone to these criticisms. In concluding his chapter, Pring quotes Phillips’ compilation of common criticisms (p. 11):
‘Education research is of low quality because it is too focused on practice at the expense of theory; educational research is of low quality because it is too ‘ivory tower’ — too theoretical — at the expense of focusing on practice; educational inquiry is of low quality because it lacks scientific rigor, and educational inquiry is irrelevant because it suffers from ‘physics envy’, and mimics the inappropriate methods of ‘the natural sciences.’
According to Pring, what is research? For each of the three criticisms in Phillips’ compilation, provide a real or imagined example of research which would be worthy of that criticism. What political or economic repercussions could accompany the continued production of research which is suspect in these ways?
In your opinion, how well aligned is academic research with the kind of research that government funding organizations are willing to pay for? What kind of education research would you assume would be ‘fundable educational research’ in the opinion of several major governmental aid organizations? How well do you believe that much of academic research is addressing these priority interests of governmental funding organizations? Is there a place for research that does not serve the immediate interests of funding organizations? If so, what kind of research would that be, and who should pay the expenses of undertaking such work?
Respond
Post your Exploration to the Discussion board and respond to one or two of your colleagues’ Exploration posts (all Explorations will be publicly viewable after you post your Exploration).
Resources
The resources to explore this week are listed below:
Topic: The aims of education research
Watch: Hans Bos, AIR: How Best to Design Education ResearchLinks to an external site.
2. Websites to explore:
Aid organizations’ funding interests:
https://www.usaid.gov/educationLinks to an external site.
https://www.gov.uk/international-development-funding?parent=&keywords=&development_sector%5B%5D=educationLinks to an external site.
https://www.dfat.gov.au/development/topics/development-issues/education-health/educationLinks to an external site.
Published research to compare with the funding interests of aid organizations:
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/loi/cerLinks to an external site.
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ccom20/currentLinks to an external site.
my peer’s work. only i will respond to one peer. here is his work.The Term ResearchPring refers to research as any “systematic, critical and self-critical enquiry which aims to contribute to the advancement of knowledge” (as cited in Stenhouse, 1975, p. 156). Pring (2015) examines common criticisms in educational research to place emphasis on meaningful avenues for inquiry such as: developing theoretical knowledge, transforming practice, or providing evidence for successful and effective educational measures (p. 08). Hans Bos the vice president for the American Institutes for Research (AIR), echoes a similar sentiment by explaining quality research should have relevance, validity, and be reliably applicable to a broad constituency (Bos, 2013).Criticism Worthy ResearchEnvisioning research that merits criticism using Phillips’ compilation brings to mind some of the research articles I read while learning to evaluate and synthesis quality research. When scanning for mixed method articles to analyze, I recall reading an article about a specific type of ICT classroom integration program. This article was an exemplary example of focusing too much on practice at the expense of theory and lacked scientific rigor. Although details evade me, as I did not choose the article for evaluation, I remember the author applied a mixed method approach using a single teacher over the course of one semester to access a new ICT program. The article gave an overview on how often the teacher implemented the program and steps taken to evaluate the program’s effectiveness but failed to discuss the theoretical framework behind the program and did not provide sufficient evidence to support a need for the program. Lacking scientific rigor, evaluating a single teacher does not lead to readily reliable and replicable findings. This limits applicability and makes evaluation of the article’s content challenging. The article felt more like a marketing ploy than academic research. Hero et al. (2021) wrote an article about ICT competencies and practices that I believe would serve an example of Phillips’ second critique, being too theoretical. The article provides a good comparative analysis on teacher’s ICT competencies and practices across three countries. Researchers explain and compare similarities and differences providing empirical evidence for findings. However, the article doesn’t provide any practical benefit. While it is interesting that three different countries with various socioeconomic and cultural influences have similar outcomes, research findings provide sparse information politicians could use to inform educational policies or information teachers could use to improve their practice.Criticism worthy research can degrade trust and give off an impression of irrelevancy. Negative impressions may lower funding available for educational research and ultimately lead to the closures of educational learning centers, as was the case at the University of Chicago. Political repercussions such as: a limited ability to make informed practical policy changes and self-reinforcing or one-sided agendas may also be a resulting influence.Research AlignmentIn my opinion, a majority of the academic research being produced does not align with the goals and objectives of government funding aid organizations. Perusing through UK and U.S. aid organization’s focuses and desired funding outcomes we can see a mimicking of the values expressed by Pring. Values that place emphasis on research that is connected with personal formation leading to enhancing wellbeing and allow people to live more fulfilling lives (Pring, 2015). Government aid organizations are seeking research that aligns with these values and capable of producing actionable results to improve the lives of vulnerable populations. Fundable research should contribute to growth. Aid organizations are seeking research that produces effective practices and policies that are widely applicable to a diverse constituency.Most of the articles I have come across in my limited experience do not appear to sufficiently incorporate these values. It feels as though a lot of educational research is stuck in theoretical and contextual discourse without much contribution for practical applications and learning enhancement. There is always a place for ethically conducted research that contributes to the advancement of knowledge. Analyzing, comparing, and evaluating practices and policies are important endeavors even when strictly theoretical. However, without practical implications for learning or educational field advancement this type of research should be less frequent than inquiries adhering to the values expressed by Pring and numerous other aid organizations. Multinational organizations such as the World Bank Group and OECD would be candidates to fund these types of research inquiries.
The post GLE 598 Exploration Peer Response first appeared on .
