Research Techniques

Educational Research: What It Is + How to Do It
Education is a pillar in modern society, it provides the tools to develop critical

thinking, decision making, and social abilities. Education helps individuals to secure
the necessary research skills to secure jobs or to be entrepreneurs in new
technologies. This is where educational research takes an important place in the
overall improvement of the education system (pedagogy, learning programs,
investigation, etc.).
Educational research is the spectrum that involves multiple fields of knowledge that
scope the different research problems of the learning system and provides a variety
of perspectives to solve the issues and improve in general. Educators need ways to
filter through the noise of information to find the best practices to better their jobs
and deliver better students. This is why educational research that attaches to the
scientific method and creates better ideas and new knowledge is
essential. The classroom response system allowed students to answer multiple-
choice questions and engage in real-time discussions instantly.
What is educational research?
Educational research is collecting and systematically analyzing information on

education methods to explain them better. It should be viewed as a critical, reflexive,
and professional activity that adopts rigorous methods to gather data, analyze it, and
solve educational challenges to help advance knowledge.
Educational research typically begins with identifying a problem or an academic

issue. From there, it involves the research of all the data, the information must be
analyzed to interpret it. This process ends with a report where results are presented
in an understandable form of speech, which can be used by both the researcher and
the educational community.
Why is educational research important?
The primary purpose of educational research is to improve the knowledge it exists

towards the pedagogy and educational system as a whole. Improving the learning
practices and developing new ways of teaching can be achieved more efficiently
when the information is shared by the entire community rather than guarded by one
institution. Simply put, we can tell that the main three reasons to conduct educational
research are:
1. To explore issues. Undertaking research leads to finding answers to specific

questions that can help students, teachers, and administrators. Why is
student experience design important in new university models? What is the
impact of education on new generations? Why is the importance of language
while redacting a survey for a Ph.D.?
2. To shape policy. This type of educational research is conducted to collect
information to make sustained judgments that can be informed to societies
or institutions to improve the governance of education.
3. To improve the quality. Trying to do something better than what is done
now is a common reason for educational research to be done. What if we
can improve the quality of education by adopting new processes; what if we
can achieve the same outcomes with fewer resources? This is quite common
in the educational system, but to adapt, institutions must have a base ground
of information, which can be obtained by conducting educational research.
Educational Research Methods
Educational research methods are the tools used to carry out research to prove or not
the hypothesis of the study.
Interviews
An interview is a qualitative research technique that allows the researcher to

gather data from the subject using open-ended questions. The most important aspect
of an interview is how it is made, typically, it would be a one-on-one conversation
that focuses on the substance of what is asked.
Focus Group
Focus groups are also one of the best example of qualitative data in education or
approach to gathering information. The main difference from an interview is that the
group is composed of 6 – 10 people purposely selected to understand the perception
of a social group. Rather than trying to understand a more significant population in
the form of statistics, the focus group is directed by a moderator to keep the group
in topic conversation. Hence, all the participants contribute to the research.
Observation
Observation is a method of data collection that incorporates the researcher into the
natural setting where the participants or the phenomenon is happening. This enables
the researcher to see what is happening in real time, eliminating some bias that
interviews or focus groups can have by having the moderator intervene with the
subjects.
Surveys
A survey is a research method used to collect data from a determined population to

gain information on a subject of interest. The nature of the survey allows gathering
the information at any given time and typically takes no time, depending on the
research. Another benefit of a survey is its quantitative approach, which makes it
easier to present it comprehensively.
How to do educational research
Like any other type of research, educational research involves steps that must be
followed to make the information gathered from it valuable and usable.
• Identifying the problem. The first step in the process is to identify the
problem or formulate a research question.
• Formulating objectives and hypotheses. Research objectives are the goal
intended for the research to take place, they must be explicit at the beginning
of the research and related to the problem. The hypothesis is a statement of
the research in the form of a question, it helps the researcher to decide which
research method is going to be used as well as the data that needs to be
collected.
• Deciding the method of research. There are plenty of research methods, but
deciding which one is the best for each case depends on the researcher’s
objectives and hypothesis planted in the previous step.
• Collecting the data. The research method determines how the data is going
to be collected. Whether it’s going to be an interview, focus group, or survey
depends on the research method.
• Analyzing and interpreting the data. Arranging and organizing the data
collected and making the necessary calculations. A correct
translation/interpretation of the data is primordial for everyone to
understand, not only the researcher.
• Writing a report. After the analysis and interpretation of data, the researcher
will form a conclusion, a result of his research which can be shared with
everyone. This will be done through a report, or a thesis, which includes all
the information related to the research. It will include a detailed summary
of all his work and findings during the research process.
Conclusion
Educational research is crucial for the improvement of the education system, the
improvement of the teaching/learning process relies on the information that’s
available in the field. Statements without research evidence are nothing but opinions,
the gathering and distribution of information are fundamental in order to improve
what we have as an educational system, as it provides explanations to the big
questions and provides a bigger picture for future generations.
As stated before, educational research is crucial for improving the education system.
In QuestionPro we believe in providing the best tools to academic researchers to
keep creating valuable knowledge.

Research Techniques

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Educational Research: What It Is + How to Do It

Education is a pillar in modern society, it provides the tools to develop critical

What is educational research?

Educational research is collecting and systematically analyzing information on

Educational research typically begins with identifying a problem or an academic

Why is educational research important?

The primary purpose of educational research is to improve the knowledge it exists

1. To explore issues. Undertaking research leads to finding answers to specific

Educational Research Methods

An interview is a qualitative research technique that allows the researcher to

A survey is a research method used to collect data from a determined population to

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